Christmas and the Kitchen
Getting a head start on my family’s favorite Christmas Eve treats, I prepared the jalapenos to hold the cream cheese, trying to keep the juice from burning my eyes. “Mom, are you bored right now or are you just trying to get things ready early?” My twelve-year-old asked. Moms and boredom. That seems like an oxymoron!
I began to share with Madi my memories of my mother at Christmas time. I come from a LARGE family; I’m number seven of eight. So Christmas for me meant a houseful of older siblings, in-laws and baby nieces and nephews. Christmas for my mom meant preparation; to me it seemed like weeks ahead of time! One of my favorite parts as one of the kids still living at home, was the making of the Christmas goodies. Now, I never helped make these goodies (which just occur ed to me for the first time!), but I loved to eat them, especially when no one knew!
You see, I grew up in Iowa where December is cold! We had this tiny room between our front door and our living room that was freezing…and the perfect place to store the said goodies. It was also the perfect place to quietly shut the door, grab a couple of my favorites (probably what we called Mounds bars) and slip back out again.
As I thought of the selflessness of my mother all those years, I thought about life and how we respond to it. You see, now it is my turn to have mom and a few of those “little” nieces who are now in their twenties to my house. It is my turn to make the goodies and prepare to great them all warmly to my home. Hopefully, I will do it will the same servant attitude as mom.
My time with Jesus today took me to Philippians 2:5-11:
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” NLT
As I begin this last day to put on the finishing touches, I see His shining example and I am given the command to have the same attitude. The attitude of serving rather than to be served. The attitude to obey Father, no matter what that looks like and even if it appears to not be for my best. The attitude that no matter what is going on around me, my purpose is to point to the Father and the Son and see that they are glorified in their reflection in me.
Yesterday….well, I didn’t do so good. Had a “moment” with the child in this devo. But today is a new day. All are still sleeping and I have this opportunity to lay down my rights and pick up His glory. It is a much bigger and better purpose than living for my own.
