Merry Christmas 2022

Friday, December 23, 2022

When Laurel joins us for lunch, she remarks on the speed with which Christmas is coming. I agree. The lights are on, the tables are set. Ruth sends over a wooden carved-and-painted children's game. She's filled it with flowers - we put it in the middle of the nook for now but it will move outside to the center porch table for Christmas Day. Stunning.

In the morning, I stroke a bit of depth onto last week's 'brush-cleaning' canvas.

I'm aiming for soft and simple so ... is it finished if I patch the hole on the right side?

A bit of dark paint and spatters of white when suddenly it begins to devolve: "Stop! Don't add anything."

We'll send it home with someone this season. For now, it hangs under the cheery face of the new-to-us water heater in the kitchen.

Dr Harini's family has a wonderful annual tradition: they send friends a stuffed bird and gravy, vegetables, and potato fries. It's hot when we sit down at the table. I take a picture at the start of our delicious lunch. Once I fill my plate, there's time for nothing but gastronomic enjoyment. SOOO delicious (and so much work to prepare.) Thanks, Rini!

Saturday, CHRISTMAS EVE

We  make sure the yard, the house, the talk for tonight ... and our hearts ... are ready. I had a lousy sleep so I have to catch a nap before evening. My dad napped after every lunch and often took a quick snooze after supper. Smart man. He's been gone 2 years. I was rigorous about napping when our kids were little, too.

We take the dogs for a walk. Gypsy runs from the leash so he stays home. The other two come when called and trot happily around the block.

My brother and niece who live in Germany haven't been to Canada for years, waiting until the country opens to the unvaccinated.

It's a ghastly trip: 96 hours. They drive to the airport on Wednesday. Normally, it takes one day to fly from Europe, which is long enough. Due to snow in Vancouver, their initial flight is canceled. Their travel gets recalibrated several times. They're in Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Paris, who knows where else? With some hotels for overnight stays.

When they land in Vancouver, an ice storm has closed all routes to the airport. They rest overnight in another hotel until its fire alarm and sprinkler system roust them. "It could be worse," says our niece optimistically. They make it to Mom's for Christmas Eve, after all of that.

Meanwhile in Bandung, the wind chimes clatter outside. We feel the warmth of the sun and are glad to be where we are. 

We leave in late afternoon to help prepare the evening Christmas Lessons & Carols at IES. 11 readers share the Christmas story, with carols sung between.

"Tonight I found out what the carols were about," exclaims one attendee. This annual event puts things into divine perspective. We hang around the community table afterward. Families and groups snap photos around the hall.

Our young friend Kirsten inherited her parents' gifts of music and art. Look at the origami flowers she made for this year's gifts. Her mom, a chef, passes along Klappertart (Dutch-style pudding) which we enjoy before bedtime.

The lamps W hung earlier are glowing on The Porch when we arrive home. They shine all night.

Sunday, CHRISTMAS DAY

I'm overcome with wonder: God who made everything from the vastness of the universe down to the smallest creature has come among us. Who can grasp his plan to unite to himself those alienated from him by failure and sin? And who can understand the Love that allows us to choose to believe or go our own way? I can hardly move, thinking about it as I wake.

The quiet of morning starts with cooking at 5:00 a.m; W overturns a water jug and pours 3 gallons into the restaurant-sized pot. I light the biggest gas burner under it and make 2.5 kg of spaghetti. I'm done with food preparation by 9:00.

As the sun comes up, all is calm. The house awaits those who will celebrate with us. For many, it will be their first Christmas event.

The roses from last night's arrangement at IES are drooping. Even the lilies are wilting. I take the flowers out of the bouquet and submerge them under water for a few hours, bloom to stem. After they're hydrated, they straighten their heads. The oasis gets immersed in another pail.

There are enough roses to arrange a 360o bouquet rather than the original 180o one. Thanks, Gati - just gorgeous. The smell is heavenly, too.

People start to arrive at the house about 11:00. Some foods, like Sayaka's sushi Christmas tree, are creative as well as tasty. Alice is a gifted kitchen manager. How we appreciate the flow she creates.

Our neighbor brings two trays with 5 kinds of brownies. It's a chocolate-lover's dream.

Before long, the counters are groaning with food. We give thanks to God before the line starts to move. Guests fill their plates with the abundance of shared giving.

We are young and old, from many nations and backgrounds. We invited those without a Christmas event or without family or friends nearby. The house buzzes with conversation and laughter.

It takes a while to get everyone through the kitchen line. 

There's enough for second and third helpings. Everyone seems relaxed in the extended-family gathering: we know all but a few guests. It's heartwarming when people trust us enough to introduce their friends and connections.

We do a final round of desserts before we read the Christmas story together.

What a sweet time to share God's love, with candles lit, Christmas light aglow, and volunteers reading the Story aloud.

The noisiest part of the day is the White Elephant gift exchange. There's the excitement of selecting a gift from under the tree OR the push-pull of stealing someone's present, trying to get others to take what you can't use, and exchanging with someone if they agree.

Sometimes there's suspense; some people handle several packages before they choose while others have scoped out their choice by the time they get to the tree. Everyone's personality is on display - the careful, the calculating, and the casual.

Sometimes there's hilarity. Simon's our most-exchanged receiver and giver. After losing his gift to someone else two or three times, he starts to  joke, hide his gift, and generally brings the house down with comedic drama. My throat is raw from laughing and shouting, along with everyone else. I have no idea what he finally takes home.

Over a dozen have left by the time we remember to make the usual messy effort to corral everyone for pictures in the yard. A few test the camera angle by jumping for joy.

We take a few pics of the process.

And a decent one after everyone squeezes into view.

Most head home about 4:00 but a group hangs out and relaxes until after 6:00. There's no water for hand-washing or bathrooms after someone leaves a toilet running. The all-house pump fills and refills the toilet until all the water from the 3 roof-top containers is used up. 

The torens are empty. Luckily the pump doesn't burn out: we'll have water once the city sends water to the storage tanks in the morning. W empties water from our dehumidifier into a pail so we can wash our hands in the evening.

Monday, BOXING DAY

W caught a cold from someone yesterday but we had a good night's rest. "My kingdom for a cup of tea!" I rinse the leaves and steep the first flush tea from Bella and Sigit. It's a gentle flavor, perfect for a relaxing morning.

We call our moms, our kids, and friends to wish them a Merry Christmas. Some are 15 hours behind us so holiday and birthday celebrations can last a day-and-a-half. Otherwise the day is quiet. This starts my week of reflection, the last days of 2022.

W helps set up the new canary cage (a Christmas present to myself. Don't laugh: W chose a cake from a downtown bakery for himself.)

"The cage is not going to hang there long," he predicts gloomily. "We're all going to bump our heads on it, coming and going in the yard." Yup, probably true. For now, we have a happy bird singing his little lungs out.

Intermittent rain douses the city. Disparate choruses of Muslim chants echo across the hillsides, punctuating the day. We're a long way from family members who are scattered across the planet.

Read more: 

The account of Christmas is a wonderful story. Read it here in Luke and Matthew.

*You who seek God, your hearts shall live. Psalm 69:32

*Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

*The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

*At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 

"His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

"He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. Luke 1:39-56

*Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. Psalm 68:8-9

*To him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Jude 24-25

Moravian Prayer: Holy Spirit, gracious guest, you filled Elizabeth’s heart when she heard Mary’s greeting. We ask that you fill our hearts as we remember the birth of a baby boy—your son, our Lord—in whose name we pray.

Holy One, giver of life, we thank you for your blessings which we receive every day. We praise you as the living God. We rejoice in your presence, and praise your glorious name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.