A Blessing

On December 2nd of this year I ordered 3 gifts for Christian from Amazon.com. Two things I knew that he would really enjoy (Charlie and Lola DVD's) and a nice, new, hardback children's book. To make a long story short...I never got them. The same thing happened last year with a gift for my husband and two gifts for my mother-in-law...from Amazon. So, money wasted and frustration extremely high.

This year I called UPS (the carrier) who did not want to talk to me and told me that they had dropped them off at the post office in a certain area code that we live in. Ok, fair enough. Mark and I both call the post office on 3 different occasions and give both tracking numbers. UPS told us they dropped the package off at the post office on December 13th at 9:11am. The post office stated they had dropped the package off at our house (although they could not give me the address) on December 13th at 9:11am. So, someone is obviously lying and I am not sure which one...I have my suspicion's...

So, yesterday in the morning I drive in the pouring rain to the post office...and to make another long story short, they do not have the package and they do not know where it is. I think it is pretty safe to say that I will never see it, just like last year. I cannot tell you how upsetting and frustrating this is, especially since I paid for these items and it is basically like I flushed money down the toilet. We are not wealthy and these gifts made up a large portion of Christian's Christmas. The only thing I can console myself with is that if they were dropped off at someone else's residence, that maybe they actually needed the items more than we did for their children's Christmas (even though they are stealing).

After tears of frustration yesterday, I came to a much better place emotionally. It is just money and things. Yes, things we cannot get back, and yes, money that we do not have anymore even to replace, but those items are temporary in the grand scheme of things. Christmas is not about things. It is about Christ's love for us and God's ultimate gift in His Son. The reason we exchange gifts is because of the gift that God gave mankind...but Christmas is about the love we have for each other because of the love the Father has for us. After having my little pity party yesterday I determined to wipe it from my mind. The problem no longer exists, it is done and there is nothing I can do about it.

After church today, I took Christian to the restroom while Mark went to introduce Elias to the lady who runs the camera ministry where Mark volunteers and to pick up his gift they said they had for him for his service. When we met up a little later, Mark handed me the little gift bag and said "look at this. God is so good. This came from God." I looked in the bag and there were two gift cards for Amazon. I almost started crying again! I am seriously still in awe. One gift card was the amount I paid for the gifts and on top of that, another one is included! Mark told me that usually the gift for Christmas is a gift card to Starbucks (in fact is has been every year since he started volunteering).

While I am hesitant to be one of those people who say that it is from God, because I tend to think he has many other things to take care of...like the horrible living conditions of certain countries, starvation, rape, torture, murder, disease, etc of people, it is absolutely a blessing. I still am at that point where I am trying to figure out the many blessings of God that I know he bestows upon us. For instance, why am I any more special and more blessed than the poor child who is beaten, tortured, raped, and brutally murdered...how do things like that happen? I know things happen because of sin in the world and God does not cause the horrible things to happen...but, do you see where I am coming from? Maybe one of my (few) readers can offer up their opinions on this subject!

But, anyway, off my tangent...I definitely consider this a blessing...whether from God or not, I am not sure, but absolutely a blessing for us in the present state that we are in. But I do have to say this. God good. All the time.

The Prayer and Scripture for day 22 of Advent.


DAILY SCRIPTURE

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, but before they married, she learned she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man, he did not want to disgrace her in public, so he planned to divorce her secretly.

Matthew 1: 18 – 19

DAILY PRAYER

With the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;

"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

You are the Father whom I adore,
You are the Son forevermore;
You are the Spirit that has been sent.
Blessed Trinity, help me understand Your Advent.