Oh my goodness, I’m full!!
That’s the only way I can explain the way my stomach, my house, my mind and my life feel right now.
Somehow, I feel like you might be able to relate.
December is over but the residue remains. I woke up this morning, gathered some food to make my family for breakfast and realized, about half-way through scrambling the eggs, that my stomach was still pretty stuffed from my December overdose. I didn’t even want breakfast. . .or lunch for that matter! I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve overdone it. My family tends to gather around decadent dishes on every conceivable occasion during those 31 celebrative days. We invent reasons to have a holiday party.
And then we eat. . . again.
To top off our gatherings, we always seemed to migrate to a mall. We window shopped mostly – walked around in the midst of the shopping-bag-carrying crowd while sipping on a sugar-laden Starbucks drink. Even on the occasions we didn’t buy anything, the atmosphere of excess and advertising seemed to seep into our bones to the point where we’d had our fill of shopping as the holiday season came to an end. Going to another outlet or boutique or department store sounded exhausting.
What? Enough of the mall?
Look toward the east. The return of Christ must be happening soon.
I tripped over a little unopened bag of Legos this morning. It had been in one of the boys’ stockings for Christmas. The stockings, the tree and all of the season’s trimmings are still in my living room and the boys’ gifts are cascading out from underneath that tree. We opened presents in the early morning hours on the 25th but then hurried off to my parent’s house for breakfast and Christmas Day festivities. Since then, we’ve haven’t been home much – a few sleeping overs at grandparents’ houses with cousins and a trip with extended family in east Texas kept us busy. So, the gifts are still tucked away in their original home. Now, school is back in session so the few gifts the boys did receive will be opened and played with slowly, gradually . . .eventually.
My home is full.
My mind and life feel much the same. I’m looking forward into 2013 and see good things in store. Our calendar is planned out twelve months in advance. Every thing from the boys’ baseball season to our ministry events are written down in an attempt to balance everything with some sense of sanity. As far as I can tell, life is full.
It’s only January and it’s full already.
Now, before you go getting concerned for me, I should explain that full doesn’t mean I haven’t factored in any margin for the Shirer’s. I’m not saying that we are deathly busy and have no time for rest. I’m only implying that it is interesting. . and sobering. . to realizing that 12 months of your life is simply waiting on you to arrive.
Full. . that’s what my life is.
Yours too, I bet.
So, yesterday I went grocery shopping and bought some foods that will help my family and I come down from the sugar high we’ve been at the pinnacle of for an entire month. Some fresh meats, veggies and fruits should do the trick. . or at least help to get the trick started. And, while the chicken baked today, I spent some time emptying bags, throwing away crumpled tissue paper, sweeping the boys play room out and cleaning out a closet so that we can giveaway some gently used items to folks who could really use them.
My house seemed to thank me. Somehow, when the heat turned on it sounded like an enormous sigh of relief bellowing out from the foundations. As little bits and pieces went out into the garage the house seemed to relax a bit. My stomach is thanking me too – relishing every gulp of water that comes streaming into it.
Now, for my mind. . . my life.
These two seem a bit more complex to tackle. They are more introspective and theoretical than the others. Any steps taken won’t be immediately noticed or appreciated.
But it’s possible. I know it is.
Better get to it.
Thanks for listening to my thoughts today =)
Priscilla
