The Gift of Trust

There need to be more post-Christmas songs to ease us out of the holiday season into normal life. The only one I know is "'Til the Season Comes 'Round Again," which I know and love from an Amy Grant album (I couldn't find a good, licensed recording of this song online). Our vacation was very blessed. It wasn't perfect, but it was time together to talk and play and, with relief, rediscover a few things. It was a respite. We took down our Christmas decorations last night and my husband went back to work this morning. We don't proceed full-throttle yet, but vacations cannot last forever, as my associate pastor recently reminded the congregation, and it is time to move into the next season. Last night I was also blessed to find a few Christmas-themed short stories by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was a great transition from vacation to work. The first story featured the rich reaching out to the poor from charity prompted by visits from angels at Christmas time. This sounds sappy, I realize, but Stowe always makes me believe it. The angels visit the poor family, too, and when the mother, worked to the bone, is about to give up on happiness and hope, the angels give her the Christmas gift of trust. I loved that. Right now, that is the gift I most value - the gift of trusting the Lord with the new season, whatever it brings Spring 2012. I think of the words of the song mentioned above, "May the new year be blessed with good tidings." That is a nice thought. Good or bad, I want to trust.