Joy to the World...Even Here

Necessary decorating tools...

This week is Operation: Decoration.  As is our routine, we begin decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving (and the watching of "White Christmas").  I pulled out our totes and began looking through the items that I had packed over a year ago.  Some decos came from my amazing mother-in-love who has an "emporium" of goods at her fingertips at all times.  Seriously, even SANTA shops at her house.  A few things that were sentimental made it out of S*dan last January when we were given the "bum's rush" out of the country.

I gathered all of it together and proceeded to deck the halls.  It took 2 totes for our Christmas tree, but it was worth every ounce.  There are a few places here that sell artificial Christmas trees, but if you aren't into the "Charlie Brown look" you need not bother.

I poured John and myself a cup of eggnog (made from a powdered mix that I had also been saving), put on Christmas music and began hanging our shatterproof ornaments on all the newly fluffed branches.  I was humming to myself and having a ball.  

A few minutes into it I went to the tote to get a few more things.  Where are my snowmen?  Or even a snowMAN?!  I rifled through both boxes and found nothing.  Don't panic, Pam.  Surely, my "Merry Christmas" sign is around here somewhere.  No go.  I stood in disbelief.  I had one of THE most extensive snowmen collection this side of the Sahara.  In fact, I had been mocked on numerous occasions for such ridiculous displays since snow is absolutely never a possibility here.  Still, they made me smile.

John noticed my pause and asked what was wrong.  I told him, "I can't find my snowmen or my 'Merry Christmas' sign."  I could feel tears welling in my eyes.  

"They didn't make it out?" he asked.

"I thought they did, but I guess not."

He gave me a hug and said, "We'll work to rebuild our collection."

I nodded but said, "I can't replace the snowman with red dots on his face commemorating Aria's Christmas bout with chicken pox…or the snowman made out of a tube sock from my nephew…"

I concluded my vent with, "Sometimes this life is hard."

Ahhhhh, beautiful tree...

John came and gave me a hug knowing that any suggestions at how to "fix" this would not be welcomed.  He let me have my "moment" and soon I had almost recovered with a good talking to myself which included phrases like, "Come on, Pam, it's just stuff" and "This is definitely a 'first-world' problem, get a grip!"  

Just then Bing Crosby began singing, "Joy to the world the Lord is come!"  I paused and thought, "I really, really like that song."  

Then I thought, "This may be my favorite Christmas song ever." 

"No, maybe this is my favorite song ever in history."

I continued singing with Bing:

Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room!
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
Let heaven and heaven and nature sing.

"Joy" goes with me everywhere.  Not in a tote, not wrapped in bubble wrap, not in a carry-on, but in me and surrounding me with the knowledge that the Lord has come!  No government, no "crack-down", no coup, no expulsions, no (dare I even put this in the same sentence) missing ornaments…can take the joy that Jesus has placed in my heart.  Jesus coming, truly is joy to the world!

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns:
let men their songs employ
while fields and floods rocks hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy
repeat the sounding joy
repeat repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground:
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found
far as curse is found
far as curse is found

He rules the earth with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love
and wonders of his love
and wonders of his love