I love to wear skirts.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to wear them more often.  This is something I've been wanting to do for a few years now, but haven't because I didn't want to draw attention to myself.  After all, why would a woman choose to wear a skirt when pants are so comfortable and practical?  But for me, who must wear jeans and plain shirts all week at work, putting on a skirt makes me feel feminine and relaxed.  Just as women who have to dress up for work look forward to jeans and sweats on the weekends, I look forward to Sunday morning when I can put on a skirt or dress and feel pretty.  

 

We women spend a lot of time thinking about, talking about, and worrying about our clothes.  We want to look nice, we want others to admire us, we want to feel good in what we wear, and these things are cause for endless debate.  What would Jesus think?  Does it really matter if others think it's odd that I'd like to wear skirts more often?  I think what matters is that I stop worrying about it, wear what I like, and free up more of my mind for the things that are truly important.

Turning A Corner 

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas holidays is the Winter Solstice.  It's always been a big deal in my family, getting past the shortest day of the year.  My Dad is a sun-loving southerner, and he insists that he can tell a difference in the daylight on the day after the Solstice...he has no fondness for cold weather, snow, and short, gray Michigan days. 

 

For me, the toughest part about winter is not the cold, or even all the cloud cover.  It's the darkness.  It's trying to wake up and get ready for work in the dark, and then coming home and having barely an hour of daylight left.  Every year I have to readjust to the closed-in feeling of those long, dark evenings, and am always so grateful for the Christmas season and the many projects I love to work on as the days get shorter and shorter.

 

Even though it's hard to tell anything is changing, it's good to know that the sun is making its way back around and by February, we'll be able to see a noticeable difference.  And it's the same with dark times in our lives.  We all have them from time to time, and if we can remember that we are never alone, the turning point will eventually come and the light will come back.  It's during those times that God is closest to us, though in our despair we may think He couldn't be further away.  He is right there, waiting to slowly lead us back into summer, sunshine, and warmth, if we only trust Him.

 

 

This is Ossie, one of my beloved furry friends.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love cats, this little grey critter in particular.  Ossie is a challenge.  I'm sure God brought him into my life to keep it from getting too quiet and predictable!  He's already lost eight of his nine lives, and he's only four years old.  He's clumsy, he's accident prone, and has cost me more in vet bills than I care to think about.

 

One could reasonably ask, how do I put up with all that?  When I adopted Ossie from the Humane Society, I had no idea that he'd be such a challenge.  But I loved him from the moment I saw him, and as he grew up and I discovered what an awkward little furball he is, it made me love him all the more.  He's flawed, just like me, and I wouldn't trade him for any perfectly coordinated cat in the world.  There's something endearing about his imperfections, just like there is with people.  We've all known awkward people who we love dearly, the nerds, the oddballs, the quirky ones who could always use a little extra love.  Mike Scott, my favorite songwriter, has a song called "Love Anyway" that could have been written from Jesus' perspective: "I think of you as a child of clay/whatever you do, I love you anyway."  I think of those lines when I get exasperated with Ossie...or when I've done something myself and I need to ask forgiveness.  I love Ossie and will do whatever it takes to protect him and help him.  And I'm glad Jesus feels the same way about me.

 

 

For me, Vacation Bible School is an endurance test, the way running a marathon or climbing mountains is for an athlete. Why do I do it? I’m not a Mom, and my teaching skills are minimal. I like things to be easy, simple, clean and quiet, and VBS is challenging, complex, messy, and noisy. Every year I’m tempted to say “never again. I’m just not up to this.” But every year, I return to help with VBS, because I believe God wants me to. 

Vacation Bible School hurls me out of my comfort zone like few other things in my life do. I have to be a co-leader, a teacher, an organizer, a planner, and a speedy thinker, none of which comes easily for me. But where I lack confidence in myself, God gives me perserverence, and He surrounds me with encouragement from my brothers and sisters. Every year I learn a little more about how to minister to children, practicing patience, and not giving up. When I say “yes” to God’s endurance test, I feel a special blessing of service to Him, and gain greater admiration for my friends and family who are schoolteachers, parents, and leaders. Along with the children, I learn many valuable lessons at VBS, and for that I’m grateful.