Sunday, December 26, 2010

Gingerbread Pancakes On Hold

Here is a post from mom:

Christmas morning I was up early trying to surprise Bethany with a family favorite for breakfast—gingerbread pancakes—when the Lord surprised me with a special gift. It came so unexpectedly.

Remembering I would be seeing a friend later in the day who had sent me a Christmas card, I had decided to take my Christmas letter for her, but now also wanted to include a card with the letter. Lying on the kitchen table, along with the gingerbread pancake recipe, was a card I had just received in the mail the day before. It had not been signed because the sender had included a gift card and had apparently wanted to remain anonymous. (Thank you, whoever you are!!!) So . . . I decided I would quickly go to my stash of miscellaneous envelopes to find a replacement envelope so that I could "regift" the Christmas card for my friend! I was trying to follow my new "Fewer than Five" principle from Dr. Miller (if something is going to take fewer than five minutes to do, do it now.) Hence I pursued this project rather than making the pancakes which would definitely have taken longer than five minutes to prepare! After all, I would be "right back" to finish the pancakes in just a "few" minutes.

However, as I was looking for just the "right-sized" envelope, I came across additional cards, letters and miscellaneous items I have saved. One was an anniversary letter from Joel from our thirty-first anniversary. Another item was the printed-out scripture he had read from his wheelchair at our daughter-in-love's father's funeral last year—I Cor 15:51-58. We had included some of these same verses in Joel's memorial service. "Joelisms" by Tina Dischinger surfaced—statements Tina had recorded and shared with us in April of this year from Joel's sermons through the years. I next discovered Joel's summary letter from 2009 and then a booklet of comfort, "When Loved Ones Are Taken In Death" that had been sent to Joel as a sample in 2003. In glancing through these items I realized the Lord was putting his loving arms around me with His comfort and care, gifting me as only He can do. Though tears were freely flowing from my eyes, I was being ministered to in my heart and soul. The tears became ones of gratefulness. The pancakes were postponed.

1 comment:

Nancy Tyler said...

God sent you an entire Christmas care package! Reminders that you are never forgotten, and dearly loved.