It Doesn't All End Up on the Fridge.

      I was just trying to be frugal. . . I needed a new Christmas picture for my unwritten cards. And so I curled long strands of hair, all three heads of them, gave my little man a home-cut before church, dressed them all up, and we walked into our classes with smiles and little blond hairs from Rowan's last minute hair cut all stuck to my tights. After, we drove through for some cheap sustenance, and then a certain someone spilled her nachos all over the backseat of the van. I briefly lost a wandering child in our quick trip to the store. And though frazzled, four children and I headed off for some photography-by-Mom at the park. 

      It was a pretty warm December day, so I envisioned them having fun, running out energy, taking some cute pictures of the happy play, and thought of airing out four children who should then sleep better and longer this night. Well. One daughter has to pee, and the park bathrooms are closed for the winter and nothing is close. This one daughter is not country enough to go behind a bush, though I tried and coaxed. One boy wanted nothing to do with the camera-- shocking I know, and one girl is still upset that nacho cheese touched her water cup over an hour ago, a little girl who did not want to smile or place her bottom on anything that might be wet, cold, or grassy. And my oldest little girl tells the others that the ground is covered with bunny do-do, so that now no one wants to sit anywhere. Picture the game Wac-a-mole, except no one was getting wacked. Just a lot of bouncing up and down, and "I've-got-to-peeee" thrown in throughout. 

       So to anyone expecting a cute Christmas picture in their letter this year, don't. Do expect to smile and receive one of the following Kodak moments. :) All of life just doesn't belong pinned up on a fridge. Life is real, squirmy, ornery, and more times than not, does-not-go-as-planned. And as often as my grandiose plans fail, I think of how intricately God's plans, weaved through all of time and humanity, have never failed. Each prophecy is fulfilled. Each promise is kept. His beautiful, unknown plans are always carried out in His perfect timing. And when my ideas fail so horribly, I might ask, are my plans really God's plans at all?

Lamson family Christmas picture - 2011

 

                                                                                        Ewwww!

                                                                                                             

                                                                     

                   

                                  

       And much later, in the quietness and warmth of home, away from fresh hair-do's and poses, was a simple song to baby Jesus. This "unplanned" moment, this poorly lit, poorly captured moment may not land on a fridge either. But it certainly landed in my heart. His too.

       When I force my plans, I loose sight of His. When all I can do is pray and wait and breathe-- that is when I am alive in the moments He has given me. When I can let go of the past, let go of the future, and hold on to these present moments-- only then can I let go of my will. That is when I see small pieces of the present plan He has given me. And living in His plan isn't unbending and rigid. Living in His plan is fluid, it sees with His eyes the moments worth investing in. It hears with His ears the speaking hearts that need love. It reaches out with His hands for the opportunities worth the "interruption." Living a planned life is simply planning on living each moment for Him. Living in His plans means that I don't mind if my own plans fail. For when my will is unbending, it isn't His will at all.

        ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  (Luke 2)

     

May we all rest in this peace, that God's great plan for mankind has already succeeded. 

May we all rest in Him.

 The only Christmas picture that really matters--
A plan, a promise fulfilled.