THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Cindy Trane Christeson

“To tidy up the house for Christmas is only a broomstick preparation.

Heart preparation sweeps our lives clear.”

-- Charles L. Wallis

“The truth is, I’m not entirely sure what Christmas is all about, but

I know what it is not all about, and that’s everything I did last year,”

a woman said in line behind me at the market.

She was talking rather loudly on her cell phone, and while I sometimes

find that to be annoying, she was actually pretty entertaining.

“I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling like a Grinch already too. I was

afraid I was the only one. What do you say we just chuck the whole thing

and go to Mexico?” she said, and then laughed, as did all of us who heard

her. “Oops, I’ve got to go, it’s almost my turn.”

She shook her head while putting away her phone and fumbling for her

wallet. Then she looked up at all of us nearby who obviously heard her

side of the conversation. She shrugged her shoulders, laughed and said,

“Well, I guess you all heard. I’ve decided that this year is going to be

different.”

“Good luck, young lady,” the elderly man behind her said with a kind

smile.

I’d finished paying and as the young man handed me my bags of

groceries, he quietly said, “I think she’s going to need a little more

than luck.”

“I think you’re right,” I said, thanking him as I headed to my car.

Years ago I heard someone say something like “I don’t believe in luck,

I believe in the love of God.” I was thinking about how true those words

are as we are all in the midst of the busiest month of the year. It’s not

luck that will make this year different. It’s the love of God, loving God

and loving others.

As I pulled into my driveway, I saw a familiar car round the corner

and pull in behind me. “How are you stranger?” my friend said.

We hadn’t seen each other for quite a while, so we stood outside and

talked.

“I finished last Christmas and the end of the year so exhausted and

tired of doing everything for everyone else that I became resentful,” she

said. “I started feeling sorry for myself, and it became a downward

spiral. Then I got sick. Well, I’m not going to do that again. I’ve

already told my son that this year is going to be different. I didn’t

decorate as much or put up as many lights this year, and my son actually

told me he likes it better. Why is it so easy to get caught up in all the

wrong things and rush through this month?”

We talked some more, and agreed that we all need to constantly remind

ourselves that this isn’t the season of rushing, but of relationships

with God and with others.

As I put my groceries away, I looked around my house and smiled. My

house could use a lot of cleaning, but I’m going to try to focus more on

clearing my heart.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

[email protected] or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.