This has been the best, most unconventional Christmas I ever had. I started the Christmas season with the desire for it to be unlike any other. We decided to take a Christmas vacation to Branson. A quiet family trip in a beautiful cabin to explore God's lovely creation away from all the hustle and bustle. Away from all the major distractions that have, in the past, kept me from focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. About a month before our big adventure, I spent some time praying, asking God to make this Christmas unlike any other. I sat at His feet with the desire for my sweet Jesus to show me what the real meaning of Christmas was. Not what I had grown up thinking. Not what the media and others tell me. What does HE intend it to look like? My heart wanted more. I did what any other daughter would do, I asked Him to show me and of course He did because in case you didn't know, God is faithful!
I spent most of the month of December completely overwhelmed and stressed trying to get everyone a gift that I needed to give along with the benevolent projects we had going on. Parties, shopping, baking, lists, my lists for lists on top of all my regular duties I have as a mother of two little ones and wife to my amazing husband is enough to drive this little lady to tears, and it did a few times. I just felt overwhelmed and all I wanted to do was sit at Jesus' feet. It's like I wanted so bad to be Mary but I was forced to be Martha. I don't like Martha. Martha stresses me out. lol. I couldn't wait until we left for our trip then I could catch my breath and finally get the much needed rest from the chaos that had been sucking my spirit dry.
The day finally arrived! The Weakly family arrived at our house Thursday afternoon (they are good friends of ours who had had enough too and joined the party). We piled in and took off. We stayed the night in Little Rock to break up the trip. Friday morning we got up and were Branson bound! We were all so excited. The closer we got I began to see the beautiful hills (they are like mountains to this Louisiana girl) the more I could taste the freedom and rest that my heart had been longing for. We arrived at the cabin safely and it was beautiful! It was all decorated for Christmas. I opened the door to the overwhelming smell of the beautiful pine walls. It had cathedral ceilings all made of pine. A huge stone fireplace separated two towering windows that overlooked a beautiful sloping hill filled with trees. The outside deck had a hot tub (which this larger than life pregnant lady was not going to be getting in). It was wonderful! I remember saying, "I'm not going to want to leave this place!". This was camping, "Melissa style". We started unpacking and I noticed after being in the cabin a little while my stomach started hurting but I chalked it up to pregnancy symptoms. Krystal and I ventured off to the overpriced Country Mart for groceries for the week. We left $160.00 poorer and headed back to the cabin. When we returned, we walked down to the fire pit for s'mores (or snores as Elijah calls them :). We returned to the cabin, frozen and ready for baths. Each bathroom had a gigantic Jacuzzi tub in it. I ran the kids a warm bubble bath that they swam in for a while and then it was mommy's turn! I was shivering and blue from being so cold and when I get cold I have a hard time warming up. Let's just say God predestined this girl to live in Louisiana for a purpose. As much as I enjoy the cold weather, my body doesn't handle it well. I went to get into the shower and it was freezing cold. Apparently, the swimming pool that I let the kids bathe in used all the hot water. So I jumped in and coached myself through it like a woman in labor or someone running a marathon. I kept repeating, "You got this Melissa! You can do this!". I remember thinking "If anyone hears me they are going to think I am a loony toon." But I was too cold to care and it got me through! After watching the Nativity Story, it was time for bed. I slept for about 2 hours and then awoke to major nausea and sharp stomach pains. I went to the bathroom and threw up. A couple hours later, same thing. I was hurting so bad and was so weak. I knew this wasn't pregnancy nausea and I also knew it wasn't a bug. It was a completely different feeling. Ive had this unique sickness before and it was always at my mother in laws house. They have a beautiful house out in the country. They built it a couple of years ago and she put white pine walls all throughout the house. Sometimes when I would spend the night out there I would get this weird sickness. We tried to narrow it down to figure out the cause but couldn't ever nail anything down. As I laid there in the bed I remembered the first thing I said when I walked into our cabin, "this smells just like Sis and Buck house!". So after a night of vomiting and stomach spasms we have come to the conclusion that I have some sort of weird allergy to cut pine.
Jared had a bunch of points at the Holiday Inn Express so after much discussion, we packed up and went to the hotel. I spent the whole day of Christmas eve laid up, trying to feel better and riddled with guilt over our friends having to leave and spend their Christmas at the holiday inn because of me. They were so great about it, two of the most unselfish people we know!
The longer I was out of the cabin the better I felt. We went and rode through Branson's Trail of Lights and then back to the hotel for bed. Early Christmas morning my eyes popped open at 7 am. I knew that the Lord had woke me and felt Him pressing on my heart that He had something to tell me. So I layed there and waited. He brought to my mind my city. Then I began thinking about my situation, what all I had planned and what actually transpired. I started thinking of others who may be waking up in a holiday inn on Christmas morning but have no hope. Then I heard His sweet soft voice say, "No matter where you are or what you are doing you have ME and I am the hope of Christmas. That is what I want you to share with others." I have heard Jesus was the hope of Christmas and understood it, but He had opened my eyes to it in such a fresh new way. I throw gifts at people with no hope during this time, desiring to bring a little smile to their faces but what they need is a joy that doesn't disappear with the trees and lights. A hope that is far above this world. This world needs JESUS! I asked the Lord to show me how this looks lived out and I immediately thought of those sick spending Christmas in the hospital. We are going to pray about next year visiting the hospitals, bringing them some goodies and the real hope of Christmas.
I have made Christmas all about me. Even when I desired to get away from that, I still painted a pretty picture of how I wanted Christmas with my family to look. When all that was stripped away, I got exactly what my heart desired, Jesus. A month before, as I sat at the feet of Jesus I told Him that all I wanted for Christmas was Him and at 7 am Christmas morning, He gave me the greatest Christmas gift I have ever recieved. Christmas will never be the same.
We got up and went to breakfast at Denny's then walked some trails overlooking God's beautiful creation before heading home that afternoon. All I can say is "Thank you God for a Christmas I will never forget"! I am so thankful for the Lord's faithfulness. He loves us too much to leave us in the same place. My greatest gift isnt the material things I acquire nor is it my family (even though my precious family is absolutely second). My greatest gift and their greatest gift is Jesus because in Him alone is hope. In Him alone is life. Everything else could be taken from me in a second but noone or nothing can ever take away my Jesus! He is my treasure! Merry CHRISTmas! :)
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
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