The Value of Tradition

I love Christmas....I love the message of the season; I love the unity it brings; I love the love that is shared amongst family and friends.

I love the traditions.

Tradition....it is the glue that holds one generation to the next.

 A young mother is preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

Her daughter watches with interest as the mother slices off the ends of the turkey before placing it in the roasting pan. 

The young girl asks her mother why she did this.

The mother pauses for a moment and then says, "You know, I'm not sure. This is the way I always saw my mother prepare a turkey. Let's call Grandma and ask her."

So, she phones her mother and asks why they always slice the ends off the turkey before roasting.

The Grandmother thinks for a moment and then says, "You know, I'm not sure why either. This is just the way I always saw MY mother prepare a turkey." 

Now the two women are very curious, so they pay a visit to the great-grandmother in the nursing home.

"You know when we prepare a turkey," they explain, "we always slice off the ends before roasting. Why is that?" 


The old woman replies, "I don't know why YOU do it, but I never had a roasting pan that was long enough."

These women all had something in common...the way they prepared the turkey. Even though the reason (for cutting the ends off) became non-existent after one generation; the next simply followed because it brought an identity and a comfort that "I come from something of value." 

As a child, my family always opened Christmas presents on Christmas eve after my father read the Christmas story. Thus, with my own children we have followed in the same manner. My children all think it is silly to wait until Christmas morning, but that is simply because they value "tradition."

Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ and by sharing gifts and love with one another, we take note of the great love that was shared with us some 2,000 years ago. Traditions pass this message; an enduring one for all generations.

I have a red "you are special" plate that is used to celebrate birthdays in our house (another tradition). On Christmas Eve after we open gifts, we simply have cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. An open spot sits at our table with the red plate sitting for Jesus.

Some traditions may not pass from one generation to the next simply because they were not of lasting value, the message is not passed, or one does not value tradition and wants to create his own way. May we be careful in tossing aside that which gives life its rich meaning.

Our girls received an ornament each year as they grew. Upon marriage, I have handed that box of their ornaments to them to hang on their Christmas tree.

The tradition of love and family being passed down. Most years the ornament depicted a life event; now they have a visual diary of their childhood.

I sigh with utmost gratefulness for the traditions handed down to me and new ones created with my girls....they create a sense of belonging....belonging to the One that created family and love.

Traditions celebrate who we are and where we have come from.

May your Christmas envelope you with the love of that tiny babe; celebrate His goodness, maybe revive that which you loved as a child? Ah, yes....mom made caramel rolls on Christmas morning....it really isn't the rolls, but the connection to mom that lives on. :)

I have learned the value of tradition.

Growing in Grace

As we travel this road of life, God grows and stretches us, conforming us to the image of His Son.

For many years, that entailed my becoming a "better" person. Shedding bad habits, thoughts, and actions. I don't think I am any further along in accomplishing this. Yes, I may have changed that thought or action, but another faulty one just replaces it.

Life is about growing in His Grace, not becoming a "better" person. In Christ, we possess all the goodness of Him.

The goodness of Grace.

We stumble, Grace picks us up. We hide, Grace finds us. We cower, Grace makes a shield. When we lose our self-control, Grace puts the pieces back in place. Think we know it all? Grace humbles us. And when we seem to lose all hope, Grace comforts us.

When all was lost in the Garden, Grace made the way back. In the form of a tiny babe.

Grace, that undeserved favor, drives love into our hearts.

Love propels us.

Love changes the heart and changes the actions.

When our children were baptized we gave them each a Precious Moments Figurine titled, "Growing In Grace." I loved the notion of "growing in Grace," but did not comprehend the depth of that until just the past few years. I am thankful His Grace was present in raising my children, even if I didn't realize the significance of some things at the time.

Grace finds us....right where we are.....and wraps His arms around us.
 
Your Grace Finds Me (Matt Redman) (click on link)

And all we need to do.....is say thank you.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15

I only learn because of His grace.

Focus...On His Goodness

I never thought I would be using my skills I learned as a childbirth educator to aid my daughter in getting through the pain of a kidney stone.

The pain was excruciating. The pain meds would not stay down. As her husband drove the ten miles back to town to get another prescription, we began breathing exercises.

"Focus! You must focus! Look at me....breathe in.....breathe out.....  Yes, the pain is out of this world, but you can ride it. Breathe in....breathe out..... Focus on my face. Breathe in comfort, exhale tension. Picture something soft, cuddly. Breathe in.... breathe out..... Focus." And it continued for an hour.....

Yes, I may have sounded strange, but research has shown that we can reduce the sensation of pain by focusing our thoughts away from it. This was at the heart of the childbirth classes I used to teach.

We must choose our focus.

As I lay in bed after the fact, I thought about how we handle the trials of life. So many times, we tense with frustration, anxiety, worry, and even anger. This will only intensify our pain, much like thrashing on the floor when in physical pain.

Can we apply this same principle to life that I taught women in navigating the pain of labor? To focus? Focus our thoughts on something other than our pain?

Yes...

Rather than dwelling on the trials and tribulations of life, we can choose to focus on God's goodness. His faithfulness to us in all moments of life.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations. ~Psalm 100

Focus...on His goodness....His love. 

Breathe in....the knowledge that you are His. 

Breathe out....praise to Him.

We enter His gates with our thanksgiving and praise. Our days will be brighter, the pain a little duller....when focusing on Him.

My daughter told me later she focused on our textured ceiling...she counted the bumps. Counted....count (focus on) the ways Jesus is good to you. Trust me....you will see joy springing forth.  

Breathe in....the knowledge that you are His. Breathe out.....praise to Him.

I am learning to focus....on His goodness.