Twelve Days of Christmas 2021
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23
From Karen,
I know. I am late posting. Not due to busyness. Due to a brokenness in my spirit that continues to lead to tears, so I never get this written. This post will be raw perhaps, so bear with me. I am not sure, but somehow I think being a Notna (Nan/Nana) has slowed me down and taught me to quiet down. To lean into the moment. To ponder. To listen.
These past weeks, as the day begins to come to an end, I find myself brewing a coffee and sitting, watching the darkness fall. I breathe in quiet and ponder.
Let’s be real: Covid has had impacts. Some life-changing as thousands have died — mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, friends. I grieve for those who have lost loved ones to this virus. I am so sorry for your loss — there are no words.
Many have lost jobs — me included. Many have grown weary and no longer want to put up with restraints this has put on us all. We have fought. We have gotten angry with each other, the government, the facebook posts…We have all had opinions and many have fought to be heard. In the words of the Grinch, “And then all the noise. All the noise, noise, noise, NOISE! They'll bang on tong-tinglers, blow their foo-flounders, they'll crash on jang-jinglers, and bounce on boing-bounders!”
We have made so much noise!
But, what do we hear if we are quiet? What do we hear if we quiet the voices within us, hush our opinions, still the irritations over our inconveniences? Allow the moments of silence to fall just like the darkness falls at the end of the day. When the outside world begins to settle and our inside worlds pause, even for a moment.
For me, I hear the words, “Not By Chance.” I ponder them over and over in my mind. Papa (Leo) Record wrote a book, and, more importantly, lived a life rooted in the belief that things do not happen by chance. In God-appointed time, and with a Christ-like spirit, our Father will show us His amazing ways that nothing is by chance. I have been intentionally endeavouring to lean in and listen. As I have pondered all of this, I think of my friend who, always, when giving thanks for a meal says, “and let us be mindful of the needs around us.”
Am I mindful? Do I see the weary and the broken? Am I quiet enough to actually hear the softest voice in the room? Maybe there is a story that I am to hear — and not by chance.
That is exactly how the planning of the Twelve Days has been this year. Honestly, it has been a hot mess. It has not been my usual plan of “9 cups of coffee will happen on this day,” etc. And none of this hot mess has happened by chance. There has been story after story. And every single one has been told to me in the most unexpected of ways. My husband has reminded me that it may seem like a hot mess to me (us) and that it has all happened haphazardly, but it has been perfectly ordered by God who does nothing by chance.
So the Twelve Days is not a list but a story. A mindset and “heartset” to see and hear a person/people who have a need that needs an answer. Period.
Just days ago, I was cleaning through my linens. I heard our local shelter was in need towels, dish cloths, and bedding. We have downsized a lot over the past two years, yet I still had spares. We are two people. So we packed them up and took them over. At the same time, I decided to give away all the spare sheets. We have one bed, so one set was all we needed. This all led to a conversation about how we could encourage people to give what they had in excess, to those who have not enough. This was the direction of Twelve Days: reuse • recycle • restore.
Then not by chance happened.
I was approached by someone asking if Ripple of Us would sponsor a young mom, who quite frankly has had a rough year, and give her some gifts to bring some “care.” It was noted that we tend to sponsor kids (beautiful) but sometimes forget the parents. I asked for a list, and I was astounded at the reply. I was humbled. On the list were towels and bedding. This need has come up over and over again. Not by chance. Perhaps my Father is asking me to listen to the needs, not make a perfectly prepared list for Twelve Days... And maybe to give more than my extras.
That said, I encourage you to give your excess towels and bedding to your local shelter or some other organization!
As I worked my way through this plan, I was asking myself, “how this would work,” as this Twelve Days deal started as a gift to my son-in-law. It is easier to make a list and ask people to help with the cost – this felt like I would be asking for help without knowing what exactly the need would be.
Some, like Brooks, give so naturally. My mother-in-law sends money to my account every Christmas for me to deliver to the kids/grandkids. I transferred on to the Record family so they may choose what to treat themselves with. As I did, I thought “…Hummmm. I have no doubt that Brooks will say this: ‘You keep mine, Amanda, and buy something for you or the kids.’” Sure enough, a few days later I asked Amanda what they were thinking and was not surprised to hear Brooks had said the exact words I knew he would.
That is the heart we would put behind the Twelve Days — one of freely giving.
What are the needs/stories? In this case, toys for children who need some extra care in hard moments, cleaning items for the local men’s shelter, gifts for a mama that needs some love, blankets and towels for a shelter, gifts for a gentlemen who has no one, gift cards for coffee, Christmas lights and decorations for women and children who have just left abusive partners, gifts for families, and who knows what else will come up! We would love to have you join us in this.
If you would like to get involved with the 2021 version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, we would love to have your help! You can contact us to have an item dropped off, you can give right in the area that you live in, or you can make a donation to Ripple of Us through Threshold Ministries (Canada Helps, e-transfer, credit card, etc.) with a note saying it is for Twelve Days of Giving. Mark raises part of his own funds for this ministry, so the designation is important.
The very best thing we think you can give this season, and every day, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Listen carefully and quiet the noise of this chaotic world as the one who holds it in His hands says, “I got this.” Remember: nothing is by chance. Merry Christmas!
