Blind Guides

Lord, help me! Keep my mind fresh and plugged into Your Spirit continually or I shall join the ranks of blind guides. When the eyes are clouded over, even gray looks clean. But in You is spotless splendor. So help me to keep the spotless splendor as my ruler.

Christmas Coming Down

It's a downer. Today, I mean. Having family here for so much of the time between Christmas and New Year, and then starting a new job this week ... I took the tree down, the wreaths, the decorations, stockings, Christmas scented bathroom spray -- you name it, it's down. I even rearranged the living room! The next major thing to put away is the large nativity set on the living room coffee table. I'm putting it off.
Perhaps I'll feel more settled once the house is back to "normal," whatever that is. Nah, I'm feeling the unsettledness for all the kids and spouses, too. Why do I do that? Pregnancy nearing its end, and health concerns for Ingrid. Possible move for Marshall. Health concerns and tension about move decisions for Adam.
It would be more comfortable and more healthy for me if I could just forget that other people have problems. Rats! I'm supposed to care! That's what empathy is. Sometimes I'm empathetic to a fault. Either that, or I'm trying to live everyone else's life... please don't agree with me. So it's gray outside and it's gray inside, too. Chocolate might work. I don't think that's what chocolate is for, although we could discuss it if you like. No, I'm supposed to be praying instead of turning nervous energy into indigestion and bad dreams.
So here I go. Taking down the last nativity set. It's coming down around me.