Reindeer Surprise

Our grandson, Elijah, has been quite fascinated with reindeer this Christmas season. Rudolph was the first Christmas special we watched. His stuffed Rudolph goes everywhere…everywhere! He can spot them a mile away, in a yard, a store window. Every animal from farm cows to jungle cats has imaginatively doubled as reindeer complete with names.

So when Rog made a trip up into the attic to check on the furnace and called down to me, “Hey, there are reindeer up here!” well, Elijah was at the bottom of the ladder in a split second, wide-eyed and waiting. I yelled up, “Sure there are!”

“No, I’m serious, there are reindeer up here! And a sleigh, and…what do you know, a Santa??? I quickly climbed the ladder only to meet the first reindeer face to face as he started to hand it down. Over 12 years we have lived in this house with no knowledge of reindeer in the attic. They obviously had belonged to the previous owners, but had evidently been abandoned or forgotten to the dark, cold attic corner.

Well, they are now in the yard…minus the Santa; he landed a spot on the back deck as a door mat. But the reindeer? They found a spot out front near the spiral lit Christmas trees that very night.

Life is just full of surprises, isn’t it? From our earthly perspective at least . I know God has a sense of humor. He used reindeer in my attic to remind me not to let the grinches and grumpies of this world rob me of His joy and simple pleasures that may be closer than I think.

I have a sneaking suspicion that outside of the grace of God and His joy made available to me I could easily become one of those grinches or grumpies. And I know exactly what “gets my goat”. Selfishness, rudeness, injustices, inconsistencies, arrogance…and I guess I should add being judgmental right? Hey, I look in the mirror often. That’s one reason I’m so easily frustrated. I know what the Word of God is capable of…it has transformed me. And even though many would likely say I’ve a ways to go, I’m not what I used to be, and don’t want to be. I can’t imagine life any other way. But I let God deal with that and continue to draw me closer to Himself. The greater the focus on the person of Christ, the less the fretting over things, situations, people…I cannot change or control. Especially the little things that might appear huge at the moment but really…they’re little in the light of eternity. But it’s not like God is unaware of even the huge things. How fruitless to fret! And I am the one that loses if my joy is sapped.

I’m not the only one who’s learned the power of this truth. Opening a Christmas card today from a dear friend was another welcomed reminder of how very much she taught me about joy years ago. And she’s never let it go. On the front of her card, “Joy” in large red script. Her message, her strength in very dark times, was and continues to be “joy”, joy in Jesus. Joy in Him, not in what He chooses to do or not do for us when we think we can’t go on, but a depth of joy that waits and trusts and prays, for years! It strengthens you to conquer the ups and downs, to accept what comes from His hand, and sees God do awesome things. And there are others…they have chosen joy in Jesus as a reality in their lives in spite of their circumstances, their hurts. They’re an inspiration and have taught me so much.

Sure, choosing joy is going to be challenged every now and then. And there are plenty of heartaches and hurts and headaches to go around. Read the newspaper, go to the mall, go to work! But don’t give up. Keep joy alive. Maybe this Christmas joy can reign, even with the same old ornaments, the same old Christmas music, the same old Christmas routine….Christmas programs, Christmas shopping, the cooking and baking and wrapping and rushing. And yes, the same people, maybe even family. Ask God to open your eyes to see differently. Ask Him to forgive the sins of irritation, frustration, impatience, doubt, anger, arrogance, whatever it might be. Tell him you want the joy. You might have to tell Him often. But you may just find it in a way you’re not expecting.

There may be reindeer in your attic.