Today’s Daily Meditation for December 7th 2021 – Do I qualify the good things in my life?
Yesterday’s meditation was about a new start because I was picking up writing on here again. But it was also St Nicholas’ Day. This feast day was always very fun for me growing up, because it was like a pre-cursor for Christmas. There is a Tradition on St. Nicholas’ Day, that children put their shoes out, the night before, and in the morning they are welcomed with candy that St Nicholas put in them the night before.
I legit loved this little feast day. It was such nice way to start off a Tuesday in Elementary School. A piece of candy before school? Maybe it was even one of those Seasonal Butterfinger Bells that only grace us with goodness for 1 month a year? Yeah it was bound to be a good day.
But as I reflect on this feast day tradition as an adult, I look at it differently. When I was a kid, I put no qualifications on this candy I got in the morning. I didn’t think that maybe it was gross, that there was candy sitting in a shoe that I wore every single day, played recess in, sweat in, and ran around in all day. I was given candy and I didn’t try to qualify how it could be better.
I never asked my mom, if maybe we try “outside” the shoe next year. Or I never went on the school bus and said, “Hey guys, I got candy, but don’t mind the little smell it might have. That’s just on the wrapper”. I just enjoyed a gift given to me.
Advent it such a good reminder of this dynamic. The dynamic of letting God be a gift in our lives. Not putting qualifiers on the good things in life. Not saying to myself, “Hey this is good. But it could be better”. Just letting God be a gift for me.
Today I am reminded to not look at the good things in my life, and wish they were better. After all, this season ends with the greatest gift of all, being born in a manger… and it was probably pretty smelly in there.
