The Day After

Do you feel let-down after Christmas? Do you feel relieved?
Are you tired of seeing everything in red and green?
Do you wonder - what was this all about anyway?
Well - you're not alone - I often feel perplexed and kind of disoriented the day after Christmas.

I just took a long walk in the snow, in the dark and cold; breathing in the crisp air and listening to the silence. I began to sense "peace on earth" and as I saw something out of the corner of my eye - I looked down at the ground by the sidewalk, I noticed the melting remains of a snow angel. You know, the kind you make by laying down in the snow on your back and moving your arms and legs back and forth through the snow and then carefully get up to see the image you left behind. I stood in wonder - who made it? It was of a medium size, so it could have been an older child or a shorter adult.

I just stood there and stared and started smiling and then giggled out loud and in that moment felt very close to my Creator. It was as if I was meant to see this - a random walk at a random time and yet - the joy of making that snow angel was contagious and I suddenly felt a genuine hint of the joy the angels must of felt at the birth of Jesus - not to mention how God & the Spirit must have been feeling! What an amazing moment in time - such joy, wonder, awe, excitement and love beyond all my comprehension.

As I walked back inside to the room with family & friends, I was struck by the contrast between them playing complicated virtual computer generated wii games - and the simple joy of making an angel in the snow - I smiled again at our desire as humans to be in community and to play together and the times when making a personal image in the snow can bring you peace and joy.

And so I say, MERRY Christmas! Peace on Earth & Goodwill to all of us!
Suzanne