WOW! This must be told!

This post has been a 'to do' ever since Christmas and I just haven't gotten around to it. So here I go since it is worth blogging about.

To say the least, 2009 was a challenging year for me. I lost my job in April and spent rest of the year considering what I was going to do next. I learned very quickly that I was more concerned about doing instead of being. Thus, my security was being found in what I do and not in Christ.

Now, fast forward to Christmas 2009. Being unemployed, I was able to come home to Waynesville a week before Christmas. Remember, the mountains of Western North Carolina were blanketed with snow at this time. Further, one of my parents' dogs (Jake - a golden lab) had gotten to a point where he could no longer walk. So, the day I arrived in Waynesville, I went with my father to the vet to put him down. It was heart breaking. Jake and I really bonded over the last couple of years. Jake's three goals in life were to eat, be petted, and chew on tennis balls. I helped satisfy two of those goals for him.

After putting him down, my father and I then worked on getting my car into my parents driveway since it had gotten stuck in the snow. I ended up pulling my back out from all of the shoveling.

On to Christmas Day and the unexpected... Over the years, my family has gotten used to waking up whenever to enjoy Christmas together. I was usually the last to wake up. This year was no different. Except this year, my family decided to wake me by hovering over my bed with bells in their hands, smiles on their faces, beckoning me to join them downstairs. Had it not been for Christmas, they may not have gotten me to get downstairs so fast. As is tradition we opened up stocking stuffers, then presents under the tree. The last present was opened and in my mind the gift giving was over.

All of a sudden, my brother tells me to go to the coat closet and pull out a box with my name on it, which in my mind was an odd request. It was the same closet from the year before where we asked mother to do the same (she got a banjo for Christmas). Walking slowly with a growing since of curiosity and excitement, I found my way over to the closet and discovering a box with my name on it. Lifting the box out of the closet, I brought it back to the dining room table where I proceeded to cut the tape, freeing the flaps of a standard shipping box (nothing exciting about a shipping box :)). After freeing the flaps and noticing what was inside, my eyes got big as I lifted the box for a 15" MacBook Pro out. As the wows came out of my mouth, I looked up and saw tears welling up in my mother's eyes. I looked over at my brother, and he was just as excited as I was. In fact, as I learned later, it took everything in him to keep his mouth shut the night before.

My family had chosen to forego getting presents for themselves to get me a MacBook Pro for Christmas. What an expression of love! Suppose I did not get the MacBook for Christmas. I would have not walked away from Christmas morning doubting my family's love for me. Yet, my family took great delight in giving this present to me. It was such a joy to them.

This was an unexpected gift at an unexpected time. I know my Heavenly Father took even greater delight in blessing me through my family. It is Him who gets the glory!

Zephania 3:17 says "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Thank you Lord!

And... Thank you to my Dad, Mom, and Andrew. I love you all!