Tend and Keep

Whenever I am preparing to host a gathering at our home, the same pattern likes to repeat itself: Weeks before, I make a list, mentally or on paper, of things that I would like to have done before the party. Floors swept, food prepped, new candles to light, bathrooms cleaned, get that cupboard repainted or the fridge cleaned out. But inevitably, as the time for the event approaches, there comes a pivotal moment, one in which I realize that I will not get everything checked off that list before the appointed time. I start to prioritize, jettisoning those tasks which do not pertain to comfort and good food... and sometimes even those items get simplified. And then, when the day comes and the guests start to arrive, I am swept up in conversation and laughter... And I realize that really, all that matters is that we stand with arms open in greeting, happy to see one another. The other items from the list, even though they may be important and lovely, are superfluous.  So too with Chris...

Every Advent season, I dutifully scatter stacks of devotionals and poetry around our house with great intentions of picking them up for daily reflection. And, while those books do get read intermittently, sooner or later, somewhere between making gingerbread and stuffing stockings, I invariably find myself drawn to re-read one of my very favorite stories... The Lord of the Rings . I read these books almost every year while sitting within the glow of the Christmas tree, neglecting other pressing tasks in order to follow two hobbits on a quest to save Middle Earth. Why am I so drawn to that particular story at this time of year? Well, part of it is that I am tired, and it is comforting to sink into a familiar story. Mostly, though, it's simply because humans love stories; it is written into the way we are created. And, in that beautiful, immersive story, I find truth: human, cosmic, and beautiful truths, all of which work to deepen and enlighten my connection to God's story of re...