Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Home For The Holidays


This blog post about Christmas and New Years is clearly long overdue, but obviously y’all have figured out by now that this blogging stuff, not really my cup of tea. But, I promise I am trying. Honestly, I’m more of a snail blogger (for those of you that don’t know that would be writing by hand in a journal). Now, back to Christmas and New Years.

I think the holidays are wonderful. I love to spend time with my family and friends. I love to give and receive presents. I love to be at Tallowood for Christmas Eve.  I love Christmas music and Christmas trees and Poinsettias. But, these things and these people do not make Christmas. These things are in no way bad; in fact they’re all wonderful, but for me they’re often a distraction of the real celebration of Christmas. Jesus. Christmas is about the fact that God gave us Jesus. If I were stranded on a desert island on December 25th (let’s hope that never actually happens though), it would still be Christmas. This year, although not on a dessert island, I wasn’t home in Houston with my friends and family, but in spite of that it was still Christmas.

My prayer for my girls and for myself at Christmas was that we would recognize this beautiful truth. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and the most wonderful gift to ever be given, finding joy in Him was what this Christmas was about. Here, celebrating this gift I prayed that we would all know that because God gave us Jesus we have the opportunity to be children of God and a part of His family. So, even though I was not celebrating Christmas or New Years with my parents and sisters, I was celebrating Christmas with my sisters in Christ.

That is not to say that I wasn’t sad at times and that I didn’t miss my family and friends, but not being with them in no way diminished the fact that God gave me Jesus. And that is a reason to celebrate. This Christmas and New Years, although very different, were fun and are times to be treasured.  We went shopping, had secret Santa’s, had a sister sleepover, ate Honduran tamales (frankly, not quite as good as my family’s Mexican tamales), danced, went to a carnival, watched movies, and made new friends.

God has given these girls to me, to love, to celebrate, to inspire, and to ultimately be an example of a Christian. Finding joy and peace in Christ in the midst of really missing Texas at Christmas was hard, but through Him and because of His birth we were all reminded of His love for us. Jesus’ love transcends any country’s boundaries and any language imaginable. Christmas is about Jesus’ birth, a celebration, a gift, and a joyous occasion! So merry (late) Christmas and New Years from all of us here in San Pedro Sula, Honduras!

Thanks and gig 'em.
Peace, love, and pursue Jesus.

Kellie

1 comment:

  1. As always, I sit here with tears in my eyes. You are an old woman in so many ways. So much wisdom for someone with so much life to live yet. What a wonderful life you will reflect on to your Grandchildren Kellie O'Quinn. Your journals will be treasured for generations to come. You are not just a candle in the window, like most of us are content to be. No, dearest one, you have been called to be a beacon. A lighthouse on the beach. I love you, and I'm so humbled and so proud of you.

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