When you were little, did you put out your shoes and anticipate gifts in them in the morning? This was the way the Feast of Saint Nicholas was celebrated when I was little. Nicholas was a Greek Bishop in the 4th century so it is only legend that tells us that he saved a whole town from famine, he protected the wrongly accused, and he put coins into people’s shoes who trusted they would find his gifts. Today is a good day to start getting ready for Christmas when the biggest gift of all is given and that is Christ’s love. Do you remember when you were little, or have you seen a small child, shaking gifts under the Christmas tree, peaking under the scotch tape, anticipating what the gifts are, and after opening everything, the little one sits in the middle of all that tissue paper and weeps. "I didn’t get enough…" or "I didn’t get what I wanted." Have you felt the sadness of "not enough" or "not what I wanted," and you can’t say what it is that you want? When Christ walked on earth, it is written about him that he felt pity for the people who crowded in to see him. Why did he feel pity? Because they didn’t know what they were missing; they didn’t know what the "Kingdom" is. He told them to live in the present, giving, praying, loving, but they just couldn’t. Can we? Now those of you who know me intimately, know I keep a calendar that has very detailed plans out into October 2015 (and Chuck just reminded me that "after October 2015, you have to start planning Italy." YIKES!). I often have to remind myself to "live in the present." Enjoy today. Don’t be peering ahead to what I can’t see, and don’t be looking back at the disappointments and the sadness that dogs all our paths. Once I was dogged by a lady at church who didn’t like me. I was giving talks on Spirituality and Advent and Bible studies and she said, in front of people, "I won’t go to your talks, you don’t know anything because you are not a priest." She actively spurned me. I was hurt and puzzled by her mean spirit towards me. I was angry, but then after prayer, I tucked my pride in my back pocket, and I went to her and apologized. "I’m sorry for what I did to you that made you angry with me." That was very hard as I have to really pray hard to be humble! She quit being mean, and now greets me like an old friend. What did I do? Our prideful, "do right" selves might say, "I didn’t do anything; I’m too busy with my own things to try to fix that useless, broken relationship"…. but when we do go out and say "I’m sorry", we free ourselves to receive the gift of love. Harboring old angers is like harboring little boats of meanness, anxiety, hatred, anger, and distrust in our hearts. There is no room for love. So today, on Saint Nicholas day, give a gift of forgiveness even if you "didn’t do it", give a hug, give a kiss. Rebuild the bridge that is rotting between you and another soul. From my Advent meditation book: "It’s in giving that our demons are cast out. It’s in loving that we are healed." God bless you this week. Chuck and I are off on an adventure today, and I might check in to this blog, so look occasionally to see, "Where’s Susie?" Love and kisses. and God bless you.
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