The last few weeks have seen their fair share of lists. Grocery lists, to-do lists, gift lists, Christmas card lists… lots and lots of lists. It feels good to set aside a few of those lists for this ongoing list. A moment to savor some of God’s goodnesses…

• finding nerf darts in every nook and cranny of my house
• change of plans and a visit from mom & dad
• Christmas cards that remind me of all the precious people that are part of our McKee world
• laughter over Apples to Apples
• hot cocoa with whipped cream and crushed candy canes on top
• being known… and, yet, loved
• Crossroads first Christmas Eve together
• new david nevue cds under the tree for me
• quiet beauty as the snow falls and lays in the crook of the Maple tree
• my sister’s washing machine nearby when ours is on the fritz
• chili in the crockpot, family gathering around
• the playmobile nativity and another year of watching for Jesus
• “you’ve been gifted” stories still rolling in
• snuggles and pj days during Christmas break
• pastor-husband sobered as he serves communion to precious people
• a Faith that marries simplicity, profundity, and majesty into one true and beautiful story for the ages
• my arm through the Rick’s as we worship together
• Grammy’s delight over her paperwhites
• my Christmas teapot – and the one who gave it so many Christmases ago
• sweet words of encouragement after my tears on the 24th…

Maybe 2010 will be your year to join me and others in a gratitude list. Ann Voskamp’s Gratitude Community has been my inspiration. Please let me know if you start your own list… whether you blog it or journal it. I’d love to rejoice with you.

I ran into a dear friend this morning. She was dropping off her daughter for a special program at our school, I was dropping off my own kids for their regular school day. We rarely see each other midweek like that. But, as we walked away from our brief interaction, I reflected on how much I love being her friend.

The thing I love about Pam is that time with her makes me a better woman. There are several things that make our friendship enjoyable: it’s comfortable and time-tested. We’ve served in ministry together, we’ve walked through heartbreaking situations together, we’ve laughed (it’s hard NOT to laugh with Pam), we’ve encouraged each other in childrearing, we’ve disagreed and learned to love well even in those moments, and oh, how we’ve talked (we both love words). Now, as our husbands pastor in different churches and our kids are older, we see each other less often; but our history makes it easy to delve right back in.

The thing I love most is that we always talk about things that matter. We sharpen each other as we talk about the day-to-day. There’s accountability and challenge as we both pursue excellence in our inner lives. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we laugh and talk about ridiculous stuff too. But, somehow, it always comes back around to the stuff that really matters. I always leave with courage to keep on. To live with purpose, humility, and grace. To remember that it really all comes back to loving: God and people. Ultimately, Pam points me to Jesus. I love that about our friendship.

Our conversation wasn’t even that long. Ten minutes, maybe. But, those 10 minutes gave me the courage to continue in my desire to stop the Christmas madness and focus my energies back on Jesus.

I hope you have people like that in your life. God created us with relationship in mind. He never intended for us to gut it out alone. If you don’t have a Pam, ask God to lead you to one. Look for opportunities to grow your existing relationships or take a risk to try a Bible study or a book club or something. Something that would move you from conversations about how cold it’s gotten this week to conversations about the stuff that really matters. To the stuff that will last into eternity…

Right now the trough is empty save a few handfuls of hay. The cow hovers nearby. A few sheep are on the hillside with their shepherd. In a week, it will be a different scene but for now, we wait. Waiting for Mary on her donkey and Joseph. For the starry host and the Babe.

It’s a tradition we started when Caleb was a toddler. Like so many of you, we were looking for a way to bring Christmas alive for our kids. Not the buying frenzy that Christmas has become. But, the real Christmas. The one that celebrates the mystery and glory of the God of the universe taking on flesh to live with us. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. – Jn. 1:14

How could we stay our hearts on that reality? How could we help our kids do the same? Afterall, the lure of gifts wrapped under the tree can be a lot more powerful in a young heart than a story about a baby born 2,000 years ago in a place we’ve never been for a reason that, while profound, can be a little hard for young minds to understand.

So we began to look for a nativity. There are some beautiful sets out there but we wanted one that they could play with. Something they could touch and interact with over and over again. (And, play they have. I’m pretty sure that Joseph and the angel did NOT have a swordfight with the shepherd’s staff in the Biblical record. But, it didn’t take our warrior-son Caleb long to figure out that it could be done in his account in our living room!)

We also decided to keep the manger empty. We wanted them to anticipate the coming. “When does Jesus come, Dadda?” “Patience. Mary and Joseph will come soon, as Christmas nears. You’ll just have to wait.”

And the waiting is good, I know. Admittedly, I’m not very good at it. I usually skip ahead about half-way through a book and read the last chapter because I can’t stand the anticipation. The not-knowing kills me. But, expectation and hunger can be a good thing. It reminds us that there is something more to come. Something left undone will finally be completed. The status quo isn’t the end-all.

Deep in our hearts, we sense that there’s more and we long for it. We wait for it.

And, so, we hope. Christmas reminds us of that. He came once 2,000 years ago. He left His throne and passed through the heavens to become a babe. A babe who would grow up to live the life that I should have lived and die the death that I deserved to die.

But, there is something more to come. He’s coming back. (I’ve read the last chapter!) The waiting isn’t over. I am still full of anticipation as I look for His return.  And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges… Rev. 19:11

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; the first things have passed away.” Rev. 21:3-4

 I still wait because the first waiting makes no sense without the second waiting.

In few days our trough will be full. Mary and Joseph will come to our creche and the kids will anticipate the arrival of our Playmobile Jesus. For now, the waiting will be over. We’ll rejoice in that birth. And, we will celebrate. It will be a great day.

But, all the while, we’ll be looking for His return. …and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True…