O King of the Nations

I don't feel very praise-y right now. A few weeks ago my husband and I had some late-night fun picking out gifts for our boys. Today two of the boys' gifts are missing, and the most likely explanation is that they were stolen from our porch. This makes me sad, and suspicious, and slightly stressed.

So here are three thoughts that are helping me get my perspective back: (1) I have been thinking all day about what I was doing exactly one year earlier. A year ago at this time I was laboring beside our bare Christmas tree, hoping that the baby would not make her appearance before the midwife did. You might recall that I was astounded to find myself in labor, that I spent four solid hours explaining away my increasingly frequent contractions. (My pal Jenny came down for coffee today and she made me laugh until I had to hold my aching sides with her imitation of me on the phone that night.) Earlier that day I wrote what is probably my favorite post. I thought I had days left in which to cultivate a peaceful state of mind. I had no idea that I would be holding my baby in a matter of hours. I have read it again and again; it makes me think of the gospel that says "This very night your life will be required of you." You just never know what's coming. And do you know what? If Jesus were to come back tonight, I would not want him to find me thinking dark and sulky thoughts about certain neighborhood boys. Ergo, I am mustering the determination to push them away.

(2) God fashioned us from the mire but he did not leave us there: He brought us up out of the mire and set our feet upon a Rock. For now we are bound to earth but we do not belong to it. All of the stuff we are giving the boys for Christmas is going to return to dust, and so I must not attach too much importance to it. I am going to pray that God will bring something good out of this for my boys -- that they will see His generosity and goodness. (Would you say a quick prayer too? I'm not quite sure how this is going to work out.)

(3) I have mentioned before that my husband and I have a verse from Ephesians 2 engraved in our wedding bands: his says "For He himself is our peace," and mine says "He has made the two one." (The passage is talking about nations, but I thought it worked for a married couple as well.) Whenever I see that phrase, it makes me happy. I remember the first day I took that ring on my finger and promised to be faithful. I think about the blessings God has given us, the youngest of whom is celebrating her first birthday tomorrow. And I cannot think about those things and be distressed about missing packages at the same time, so I guess I will keep thinking about those things.

O King of the nations,
the one for whom they have yearned, and the cornerstone,
you who make the two one,
come and save
man whom you fashioned from the mire

Comments

[Sarah in Ottawa]

I am so sorry about the missing gifts; I'll keep you in my prayers (perhaps praying for the intercession of St. Anthony).

Happy birthday to the youngest Gladly!