A two-billion-dollar jackpot, Christmas music on the radio, unexpected election outcomes, and now hurricane Nicole. What a week! And it’s only Wednesday! How much are we expected to deal with in such a short time? Although I’m mostly disappointed that I didn’t win the Powerball drawing and can’t do all those fun things I envisioned with the money, the most disturbing event of this week was discovering that a local radio station has begun playing Christmas music. Nonstop. Barely a week into November, and someone is crooning at me through my speakers, wishing me a Merry Christmas. No. Just…no.
I have relaxed my Advent grinchy-ness over the years, but it’s not even Advent yet. It’s not Thanksgiving yet. It’s not even mid-November yet! Speaking of November, why are we talking about hurricanes and storm surges? Isn’t hurricane season over? I know the answer to that is no. But I also know that Nicole, who is expected to be hurricane-strength when she blows ashore, will be the second-latest hurricane to ever make landfall in the US. (Jeopardy answer: This hurricane, who shares its name with the current Princess of Wales, holds the record for the latest North American landfall in 1985.) And speaking of speaking of things, notably, speaking of Jeopardy, all these events could be answers in a category entitled: things outside our control!
Yes, we like to daydream what it will be like to hold the winning lottery ticket, or to see our team win all the elections, or even that we could celebrate Christmas every day the Buddy the Elf way. But, for all that we might like to dream the impossible, or imagine that the unlikely could become real, we get none of that (except for that one person out in California). Instead, we get a sub-tropical storm that might be God’s way of saying, “you want to play with unlikely scenarios? Hold my beard and watch this!” Ok, not really. I made that part up. God’s beard isn’t removeable like some department store Sant… – Lord, have mercy, we’ll start seeing those soon, too! Seriously though, I’m not even sure she has a beard.
We can dream all we want, but we also need to keep ourselves rooted in the reality of our day to day lives, too. That reality that isn’t always pleasant and doesn’t always go according to plans or dreams. That doesn’t mean we should lose heart. We can imagine what it would be like to have a billion dollars, but we shouldn’t ever forget how blessed we are already, and how much good we can do with what God has entrusted to us. We might be frustrated by politics and lost elections, but we must also remember that it means there are others out there who we need to stay connected with; despite our differences, which are many and serious, we’re still in this together. Christmas is only twelve days a year (STARTING on December 25, don’t forget), but we can still be generous towards others, give gifts, and celebrate the Christ child through the way we live our lives the other 353 days of the year.
So, please, have yourself a Merry bloated Christmas (it’s not a Merry “little” Christmas if it’s 60 days long!) if it makes you feel good about God and our neighbors. And keep buying those lottery tickets, if it’s fun to dream. You can even talk about this election for two years until the next one, if that makes you happy. Just be sure you’re present here and now with the people in your life, and that you look for God in the midst of every day. Hold on tight to those you love and those who love you as the wind blows and the waves come and go. Some seasons in life start early, others stretch longer than we want, and through it all, we’re never really in control. God is. No tickets required to claim that jackpot.
Tom+
Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who care for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Photo Credits: Lottery sign and Macy’s Believe Meter via Dreamstime.com subscription.