Today we officially finished all of our Christmas shopping. It was a fun and stress-free shopping season. The majority of our gifts we purchased on Black Friday and the rest we purchased online, avoiding the crowds at the malls.
Went to a Christmas party for the Women's Fellowship group and learned a new game called 'Mad Gab'. I wasn't the best at it but I wasn't the worst either. The food was good and the company was even better. One of my favorite friends, Irma, was there. She has a very infectious laugh and is always full of such joy and optimism. I really enjoy being in her presence.
Church was very special on Sunday as a couple we are friends with had their little baby girl baptized and we all came up to the altar and gathered around her to pray. I'm a mushy girly girl so you know I cried. One thing I really love about the Christian Church is the pervasive sense of love that permeates throughout the entire congregation. It's nice to enjoy a sense of belonging and fellowship. Of course in every church there are particular families that especially seem to radiate God's love and this couple is one of those families. You can tell in the way they smile, the way they embrace their family and friends and in the way so many are drawn to them. They feel good about life and blessed and when you are with them they help you to feel the same way. I don't know if their especially bright shining light is a gift any Christian can develop by following some sort of procedural guideline and growing their relationship with God, or if it's a special gift that only a few are blessed with just as the rest of us are blessed with different ministry gifts.
Imagine for a moment that one by one many of your friends decided they wanted to pursue medicine as a career and enrolled in medical school. Now you have no interest in medical school or being a doctor. You've sized up the commitment required several times, prayed about it, and determined that as best you can tell God is not calling you to medical school and it's nothing you think you would find happiness in. Still, you watch your friends have celebration parties when they're accepted into school, and more celebrations when they graduate. They form small groups to share in the experience and fellowship over the matter. In passing they remark to you how fulfilling their medical career is. You're still a long way from ever wanting to go to medical school yourself, but you feel like you are missing out on the shared experience. In other words, it stinks that everyone is part of something - no matter what that something is - and celebrating over it except for you. Even though you are really happy with your own job, and never want to be a doctor, you still feel left out.
For me, this medical school experience is how I feel about having a baby. It hit home again over the weekend as we celebrated 2 baptisms and a friend in the church announced at the baptism party afterward that she is expecting too. I'm very happy for all of them, but I just feel left out of the group dynamic at times over the issue.
Another situation that brought out that "left-out" feeling for me is one where several of my friends are also friends with a young woman whose personality is so different from mine- a good 180 degrees different. The woman and I are cordial and kind to one another but there just isn't a basis for friendship between us due to our differing personalities and interests. So it shouldn't bother me that she doesn't ever invite me to spend time with her as she does for all our shared acquaintances. And yet it does bother me. Of course if she did invite me I'd decline because we don't really have a good time together, yet I still feel left out by not being invited. This is one of those "feelings" that the rational adult side of my brain can easily diagnose as silly and illogical but I can't seem to make go away regardless. Obviously some moral weakness or failing on my part.
A busy week as far as the work schedule goes. A lot of deliverables due before J and I leave for the snowy mountains of New Hampshire on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to our white Christmas. I picked up a sporty parka this weekend and matching gloves to prepare. Also purchased some long underwear [they are very cute- basically onesies for adults with the snaps and everything]. An unrelated purchase was 3 pairs of knee high boots- one black suede, one brown suede and one dark brown leather. I got all 3 new pairs total for the same price on ebay it would be for 1 pair if I had purchased from the store. This was possible because I purchased from an overstock wholesaler. So my advice is if you are looking for nice high heeled [or low heeled] boots, check out ebay first. Below are the boots I got.
Suede boots in black and brown:
Leather boots in Dark Brown
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