“Typical”
adjective:
normal for a person, thing, or group
average or usual
happening in the usual way
Back at home in the US in my lovely state of Michigan, my typical Christmas Eve includes snow, and lots of it. It includes my immediate family exchanging Secret Santa gifts and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at some point in the night. A typical Wynne Family Christmas Eve includes the consumption of delicious foods, many presents getting “last-minute” wrapped and then placed under our tree; all while various Christmas tunes provide a subtle soundtrack in the background.
Typical and lovely.
Here in northern Malaysia, I’m not currently experiencing what makes my Christmas Eve ‘typical.’
I’ve spent 5 hours teaching preschoolers. (Yup, school and work take place on Christmas Eve, here.) I’ve washed little hands before snack time, little plates afterwards, and cleaned floor tiles that had “I’m upset” vomit on them. (No, he wasn’t sick, just frustrated enough to make himself sick when he didn’t get the toy he wanted. Those that have worked with children know what I’m talking about. Oh, kids.)
Sometime after the vomit cleaning and before the toilet plunging (yup, did that at the kindergarten today, too) I decided I was frustrated at my lack of a typical Christmas Eve.
I just want some gingerbread cookies and candy canes while I look at poinsettias, doggonit!
Because, Jesus clearly came to earth to make sure I could spend Christmas Eve lounging with baked goods, right?
Wrong, Erika. Wrong. Jesus came to bridge the gap between us and the Father. He came so that we could experience abundant and eternal life. And how? By knowing Him. And the more we know Him, the more we long to be like Him, and serve as He did.
John 17:3 Says it so well: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
In a rather unorthodox way, this snowless Christmas Eve in southeast Asia has given me the opportunity to show the meaning of Christmas more distinctly than if I were back at home. Sure, I wiped up vomit, but I also prayed and sang over the children individually while I prepared them each for naptime, which has become typical for me in my time here.
Typical and lovely.
I long for these kids and their families to know Christ. For there to be no gap between them and their Creator. It’s such an honor to be able to walk in relationship with a loving God, and reflect that love to people who know only of a dictatorial god, or of none at all.
“Typical”
adjective:
normal for a person, thing, or group
average or usual
happening in the usual way
I always want it to be typical of me to share the joy of the Lord from inside of myself and thusly, the love of Jesus, regardless of where I am, and no matter what day (or “eve” of a day) it is.
Oh, and I DID find some snow here in Malaysia. (:
photo by Vallory Moss
Merry Christmas!
From my heart,
Erika Venese
