It occured to me a few days ago that Americans don't celebrate Christmas only on December 24, but that they party for 30 days straight beginning immediately after Thanksgiving until the end of December. What a duh moment that was!
Maybe it was the Christmas cards I'm still addressing. Or maybe it was the parties we've been to already. Let's see -- how many? I don't even have the energy to count them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you're supposed to simplify and say no -- but life is about loving one another and who do I say no to when they are so generous as to offer their time to pay attention to me and my family?
Today's "party" was very special. This is my first Christmas with a "best friend." I am 44 years old and I am just now able to say, "I have a best friend."
As a pastor's wife, best friends have been hard to come by. I have been hurt so many times; I've been back-stabbed, and have had private information used against me countless times in the past. As a result I put up some protective walls around my heart just to be able to go to church every week and not come home crying.
Couple the fear of being hurt with moving often and it doesn't make it very easy to make and find a close friend.
When we took the church where we are now, almost seven years ago, I promised myself that I would just be ME. I wasn't going to be what everyone else expected me to be. I was going to just let it all hang out and be REAL.
It means I can't take myself too seriously and it means that my flaws are hanging out there for everyone to see. But you know, it is the most freeing thing! The people at our church know I don't like to cook, that I struggle getting places on time, and they know that my house isn't perfectly neat and tidy. They know that I have foibles and weaknesses. And horror of horrors -- I'm not perfect! Imagine that!
I think we must have the most loving church on planet earth. These wonderful people support me with love and acceptance -- warts and all. They cut me some slack because my kids have disabilities and it is hard to get them all ready at the same time when we go places. They accept ME, and they don't hold me up to an image of a perfect pastor's wife. I am honest with them about my weaknesses and you know, I think that endears me to them in a way I wasn't able to reach people before when I thought I had to be and act a certain way.
I had not been praying for a best friend when Jennifer came into my life, but I had indeed been praying for God to send us help at the church. There was just so much to be done and not enough people to do it: children to minister to, administrative things, etc. (My husband doesn't have a secretary and we are in rural Indiana.)
Jennifer came as an answer to THAT prayer and the icing on the cake is that she also came with unconditional happy love. Today we exchanged gifts and she made me the most adorable fleece blanket with all different breeds of dogs on it. She knows I'm a dog lover! It is warm, and cuddly and all the colors I love. I am all wrapped up in it right now as I type!
But the best gift of all, isn't Jennifer's blanket. It's beautiful, funny, life-loving Jennifer. And I'm so glad she's my friend. Along with the baby Jesus, she's my best gift of all this Christmas!
Posted by 
