Looking out the window this morning at a nasty mix of winter precipitation I was sorely tempted to stay home from church but having promised to go early with Nick and take down the Advent “swoosh” and other Advent decorations, and having been offered a lift I decided I should make the effort.
After spending half an hour or so dragging around the step-ladder and forcing out staple gun staples with a screw driver, everything looked a bit bare but tidy and there was still time to heat up a pot with the leftover cocoa from Christmas Eve. As it got closer to 1030 am it appeared likely we would have a small congregation, a VERY small congregation. In fact there were six of us in total, including Nick so I was doubly glad to be there in order to swell the “throng”.
Music was provided by You Tube, which was just as well since the singing was a bit sparse but the Gathering was thoughtful and prayerful and I was thankful to spend the last Sunday morning of 2015 in that space. I was also grateful to receive a ride home and to eat my packed lunch snuggled on the sofa with Wil.
The afternoon has been filled with shovelling and scraping ice off the car I’m “minding” for a friend who is in the UK for two weeks. With a forecast of a big storm coming Tuesday I need to be watchful and ready to move the car if the snow removal signs are posted on our street. Since coming back in the house I have been beavering away at my Thank You notes list. Some people dread writing such notes but for me it is a time when I can express a whole lot of heartfelt thankfulness to all those who have gifted me at Christmas and whose lives have made a real impact in my life throughout the past year.
Did I feel as if I was able to carry the light of Christmas forward today? Certainly not while slogging through icy streets with Wil, nor while shovelling or scraping ice, but YES! while the Christ Candle burned bright on the mantelpiece and while I composed note after note to so many thoughtful friends who took the time to find just the right gifts for me this Christmas.
I am SO blessed and I will continue to try and hold onto the promise found in the Gospel of John, whose Feast we celebrate today.