Dear Kaleid Women,
Christmas is just four days away. You can smell it, taste it, feel it, and almost touch it. (No doubt you’re touching a lot of wrapping paper, grocery lists, and “order now” buttons.)
Today’s Kaleid reflection comes to you from both ends of the spectrum: the dusty end and the dignified one. This is because as Christmas-women, we serve - calling forth our cranky and our lovely, all at once.
Today we reflect by seeing differently yet again – by putting on lenses of self-compassion and grace at this busy, service-heavy time.
Two things are true.
We are dusty.
“As a father cares for his children, so does the Lord care for those who fear him. For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust.” Psalm 103:13
Our hard work – our service, our love, our effort, our planning, our hospitality. All of it is dusty stuff. It crumbles under the weight of stress, fatigue, and one.more.thing.
God knows this. He knows our dusty frame. Just as we compassionately look at our own children, knowing their wounds and foibles better than they know their own, He considers our frame and cares for us.
It is only by the liquid, crevice-filling power of His Holy Spirit – His purity, His grace, His compassion – that our dusty frame takes on the cemented strength of sacred love as we reach our hands to others in service over the coming days.
We are dignified.
“My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.” – Psalm 71:23
Our hard work – our service, or love, our effort, our planning, our hospitality. All of it is dignified stuff. It is an expression of the joyful song, the unique words, the redeemed soul that God has created us to bear in this world. His image, in human form.
When Mary gave birth to Jesus, she had to realize that He looked like her. He bore resemblance because she was His mother. As we bear acts of service in the coming days, combining God’s grace with our design, what comes forth will look like us and it will look like Him. It will be uniquely beautiful because we bring our dignity to bear on the divine work of God in the world, even as we serve.
Go forth into Christmas reflecting on the dust and the dignity that God poured into you. Go in the love of the Father, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of Jesus Christ.
Blessings.
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