Don’t judge me, but I only just now took down the Christmas tree. 1
Some might be reading this and thinking it’s early. Others may be wondering, “What were you waiting for?”
And to the latter, I would say, “I don’t know.” Maybe it’s due to the holiday hangover we’ve been nursing since we finally got our house back in order after a whirlwind of visitors. Maybe it’s because I wanted to bask in the warmth of the holiday joy a bit longer. Or even still, it could just be because other things on the ever-growing to-do list seemed more important.
Whatever the reason, I found myself with some time to spare and the urge to do something, ANYTHING, and the tree seemed like a good enough place to start.
As I painstakingly brought down the ornaments one-by-one, I let my thoughts drift away with each bauble that passed from my hands to the tote. Being the nostalgic person I am, I remembered the stories and places attached to each ornament. The pink porcelain camper we bought in memory of our Millie girl, the 16-foot camper we traveled the U.S. in for close to three years. The red glass baubles with each kid’s name painted in white cursive calligraphy from Bronner’s.2 The wooden Michigan ornament we bought the month we left the States to move to Australia, a yearly reminder of where our family began.
On the bottom half of the tree is a myriad of cheap, plastic baubles, strategically placed there to distract the roaming toddler from the more fragile ones a few inches above her reach. However for every plastic bauble that no one deems worthy of rescuing from a chubby baby’s grasp, there is a sentimental one that would elicit tears should it ever meet the same demise. These sentimental ornaments have lasted the long haul of our family history. These are the ones that have survived puppies and toddlers and careless packaging. They have lasted the many moves our family has made - the boomerang move from Michigan to Florida and back again, the moves from one shed to another, the years they sat in our storage unit, the Big Move across the ocean, and still multiple moves within the country we now call home.
It is truly a miracle they have made it to this place, this house, this living room.
But of course these ornaments aren’t just trinkets. They represent something, someone, a time and a place and a memory of long lost days.
They elicit memories of the good and the bad. The joyful Christmas mornings with wrapping paper flying around, the tear-filled evenings of misunderstandings and loneliness, the simple moments of contented afternoons with the warm light streaming in to highlight toys scattered around happy children. The highs and lows of living a life together under the same roof day after day.
These ornaments represent the big things of leaving the familiar behind to chart the unknown of a new culture. The times of upheaval that comes with a life of travel and forgoing the comforts of a non-transient life. As I hold the shiny, red “Our First Christmas” ornament, I can see the vast amount of life that has happened in the 14 years since we first hung it on the bough of our hand-me-down artificial tree.
It is truly a miracle that we have made it to this place, this house, this living room.
One day these ornaments will see their last, either because they have met their end in the crash on a hardwood floor, or because I have met my end on this journey Homeward and the trappings of this world will no longer hold their value.
There has been so much grace here in this life that has left me amazed and awe-stricken. I deserve none of what has been bestowed to me, yet I am thankful for all His hand continues to provide. Through all the hardships and heartaches and hunger for more, my God and Savior has been lovingly and patiently guiding me along. There have been times where I may have missed the directions to turn or ignored it altogether, yet He persists in His kind and faithful way. His promise of goodness and mercy following me all the days of my life is evidenced in the fact that His love has never given up on me though I have often given up on Him.3
I do not claim to have an easy life, nor do I claim to have gotten the shortest end of the stick. I have had many days and nights where I have wondered if I was going to survive this long trek upward, fearful my strength would give out before I ever reach the summit where the clouds are removed and the warm sun shines unhindered. I have no answers to the hardest questions of life. But in asking the ones that my pain has begged to be shouted out into the void, I now know that the only answer I need can only come from staying as close to my Shepherd as possible this side of eternity.
And one day, when my faith finally becomes sight and I step foot onto those golden shores of Heaven, I will be able to say with complete confidence:
It is truly a miracle that I have made it to this place. A pure miracle of grace.
“God spoke today in flowers. And I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation.”
Ingrid Goff-Maidoff
the miscellany
All the random things that have been bringing us joy:
I deleted all of social media for the month of January and it was *refreshing*. I’m always amazed at how much more time I have once I eliminate scrolling from my daily habits. I’m looking to make this a more solid routine in my life by deleting all social media apps more regularly. (If this worries you about how we can keep in contact, you can always reply to this email for an extra way to stay in touch!)
Speaking of extra time, I did a lot of reading - like, A LOT. I set a reading goal of 20 books for 2024, which seemed conservative and gracious considering how busy our year is shaping up to be. Welp, I blasted through 12 books through the month of January alone. Looks like I’ll be adjusting that goal which, in my opinion, isn’t the worst thing to happen.
I mostly read memoirs, biographies, and classic fiction alongside my usual Christian nonfiction pile. My favorites were Jane Austen’s Emma and Persuasion, the second installment of Elisabeth Elliot’s biography, Being Elisabeth Elliot, and This Homeward Ache by Amy Baik Lee on seeing glimpses of our Heavenly Home in the everyday.
The kids are officially back to school! Every year to celebrate the first day of school (and the last day of school… and the 57th day of school… really, any day of school), we go out for ice cream. We especially love a local gelato store in our town called Blue Cow. They have the tastiest, most unique flavors - some of our faves have included salted coconut peaflower, dragonfruit and raspberry, and hubba bubba! Then we take a stroll along the wharf, keeping our eyes open for dolphins and waving at the boats as they pass. It’s the perfect way to kick-off a fresh year of learning!
Just to set the record straight, this was written two weeks into the new year - not in February like it may seem.
The world’s largest Christmas store located in Frankenmuth, MI. It’s literally Christmas 24/7/365.
Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
You are such an encouragement to me , Mindy, .Can't wait to see you r next email. ! 🤗
You have such a talent with words, Mindy. Looking forward to the next one!