Hi, how are you?
How’s it going?
What’s new? How’s the family – was your Christmas good?
How are you doing?
It’s a series of common questions when people encounter one another. The meaninglessness of random “hellos” along with the “how are you doing” questions that are followed by random conversations that have no intent or meaning – a matter of conversational rite of passage, per se. It’s been almost two weeks since Christmas morning and now the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, and the next retail magnets begin to move in for their versions of attraction to any of us who would give in to our shopping temptations and tendencies. Yet, there continues to be encounters with people who will ask, as if they really mean it, “Hi, how are you?” but what they mean is “hello” – and can’t say it. It’s not the norm….it’s not what we are accustomed to. People want to be cordial and want to be interested but the problem is – most are not interested, they are preoccupied and their own lives are so full they have a mess that is leaking out of their ears….because of their self imposed fullness; or, so they think.
People would ask Olivia and me about our Christmas and we would reply how it was and what we thought of and encountered. It began as something good but turned into a bit of a “I need to put the brakes on this conversation” mode because, for some of those talks, we could tell the other person was passing by and saying hi, but since there are Christmas trees and holiday greeting cards out, it makes sense to ask about the holidays as a general greeting to others. We wanted to talk about Christmas. We wanted to talk about Jesus. We wanted to tell (and still do) the story of what Christmas means in our home and how we have worked to celebrate Christ and His birth and our family time together…and how excited we have been to greet others this time of year and more than that, to cozy up at home and be a family. But, maybe that isn’t “for” all those other people – just the ones who might really want to know. I once heard a friend say that when others ask how you are doing, if you REALLY told them how you REALLY are doing….you would quickly find out who your REAL friends are. So, when people ask, I try and answer in an honest way rather than a passing by of social greetings. Sometimes, I get the hint and shorten my responses.
So, what about Christmas? What about my house? What about the mess? What about when people say, “ours was good, how about you….” – do they really mean it? Well, they asked….so I tell. I wonder if sometimes they, or we, or I would say it like it is – what would be different?
Hi, how was your Christmas?
-Great! It was nuts. It was messy, the house is crazy, there is stuff everywhere….wrapping paper that hasn’t been thrown away, boxes that are all over the house, dishes are out and unclean, left overs are still on the counter and drying out – the toys are spread out, the needles of our tree are hosed and prickling everyone in the living room. The t.v. is on all the time, music is playing, the trash needs taken out and we laid out of church because we could…..yes we celebrated the birth of Jesus like never before….yes it was the Godliest Christmas at home I have been a part of – yes, our lives are and certainly can be a wreck….but, hey! Big deal!!! It was awesome!
Seems okay, during the holidays to have this wonderful and acceptable laziness greeted with divine embrace and Godly experience…equaling a joyful Christmas and family time. However, what if THIS was the everyday experience? What if the mess and the food and the madhouse affect was a typical scenario? Would we really tell others? Would it be okay? What would people think….
They would think our lives were a mess. They would think we don’t have it together. They would think we were a bit of a wreck. Hmmm, sounds kind of…..true. I am a mess. I don’t have it all together. I am a wreck. I have been a wreck and will probably be one for quite a while. Isn’t a wonderful thing? I am in a place where I must rely on the love of God. I cannot pull it off and make things all good and okay everyday – it cannot be done. There is a problem with this world and I am not the fix. But, Christmas happened…and Jesus put skin on to reveal the love of God so those who don’t have it together, like me, can rely on Him. And the messes….create patterns of dependence on God!
My mess puts me in a position to trust in and rely on God.
Shall we allow the mess to screw things up and wreak havoc? Shall we allow the mess and the reality of who we really are to misalign our identities?
Our messiness is exactly why Jesus became a baby. Our messiness is exactly why ‘he who knew no sin became sin…..so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’
My mess is the business of God. And I belong to him, thank heavens.
Blessings,
-ao
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