These last weeks, I've been burdened with the futility of life. In other words, I've been feeling very Ecclesiastes-ish. Knocking knuckles with ol' King Solomon. Nothing can get me down more than feeling like my work is meaningless. Take a few examples:
(1) I spend hours meal planning, shopping, cooking... only to haveSummer the children tell me it's yucky food, Summer gagging over every bite we force down her gullet, and the meal to be finished in a matter of minutes.
(2) I spend all afternoon scrubbing the toilets, sinks, scraping hardened toothpaste out of random surfaces, only to have Travis' shavings sprinkled on the counter the next morning, and Bella's spit from brushing teeth sprayed all over the mirror.
(3) I vacuum and pick up toys, only to have crumbs and food spilled. Milk and water sloshed. Toys spattered every which way after nap time ends.
(4) Travis and I sweat over hard conversations Sunday evening and battle to get on the same page, only to have the work week wipe him out with 14+ hour days and rendering us in the same position we found ourselves last weekend.
Futility. Does anything I do matter? And what does this have to do with Christmas?
I was thinking that very thing today. Or rather, what does Christmas have to do with my every day life? Because I know it should matter to my everyday life. My monotonous, futile life. And here's a few reasons why I reminded myself it matters:
(1) Because it gives me a hope of something greater. I think of the people that came before Christ. How they had to wait and wait and WAIT for even just a prophet to speak from God. They had the hope of a Messiah, but still, He had not come. And then there was the 400 years between Malachi and the birth of Christ. Emmanuel's birth gives me hope, that although this life may be futile, He has come and overcome this world. There is something more.
(2) Christmas, and all the events leading up and surrounding it, showcase one important memo: God chooses and uses unimportant, "meaningless", lowly people -such as myself - to get His story told. Think of Mary, Bethlehem, the shepherds, etc. Nobody important, no big town, no high-ranking people. This shows me He can (and does and will continue to) use me and my ho-hum, futile life.
(3) Lastly, my mind is brought to the stanza in "O Little Town of Bethlehem":
(1) I spend hours meal planning, shopping, cooking... only to have
(2) I spend all afternoon scrubbing the toilets, sinks, scraping hardened toothpaste out of random surfaces, only to have Travis' shavings sprinkled on the counter the next morning, and Bella's spit from brushing teeth sprayed all over the mirror.
(3) I vacuum and pick up toys, only to have crumbs and food spilled. Milk and water sloshed. Toys spattered every which way after nap time ends.
(4) Travis and I sweat over hard conversations Sunday evening and battle to get on the same page, only to have the work week wipe him out with 14+ hour days and rendering us in the same position we found ourselves last weekend.
Futility. Does anything I do matter? And what does this have to do with Christmas?
I was thinking that very thing today. Or rather, what does Christmas have to do with my every day life? Because I know it should matter to my everyday life. My monotonous, futile life. And here's a few reasons why I reminded myself it matters:
(1) Because it gives me a hope of something greater. I think of the people that came before Christ. How they had to wait and wait and WAIT for even just a prophet to speak from God. They had the hope of a Messiah, but still, He had not come. And then there was the 400 years between Malachi and the birth of Christ. Emmanuel's birth gives me hope, that although this life may be futile, He has come and overcome this world. There is something more.
(2) Christmas, and all the events leading up and surrounding it, showcase one important memo: God chooses and uses unimportant, "meaningless", lowly people -such as myself - to get His story told. Think of Mary, Bethlehem, the shepherds, etc. Nobody important, no big town, no high-ranking people. This shows me He can (and does and will continue to) use me and my ho-hum, futile life.
(3) Lastly, my mind is brought to the stanza in "O Little Town of Bethlehem":
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the Everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
 |
| "The Nativity" by Rembrandt |
Every hope and fear, from Adam and Eve to the unborn baby in my womb, was met that dark night 2000+ years ago. Because HOPE was born. Hope that there is something more than just this life. And if we love Him, that baby lying in a manger, we live to showcase that hope.
So, may you showcase that hope through your futile life. May we showcase it to our children, to the grocer, to our neighbors, to our co-workers, to all we come in contact with. Christmas is not futile, no, not ever.
2 comments:
This is wonderful, Jenny! Thank you for the encouragement!
Thanks for this....life has been feeling very "meaningless" as of late but Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on the hope of Jesus Christ. Thanks for the reminder!!
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