Everything a Memory: Miracles in His Time

Little hands hung the ornaments on the branches. Small crocheted red and green Christmas stockings, painted wooden blocks, a wood stenciled heart with folk art scrolls,   a craft dough teddy bear red ribbon around its neck, fabric frames holding her 2 year old photo, a yellow wooden airplane, red silk skirted angel at the top; each ornament a symbol, a tribute to love, family, childhood, and faith. The ornaments were chosen for her toddler hands and later her preschool hands. Nothing to break. Everything to be a memory. Chosen across childhood, across travels, picked up here and there. Sometimes during small town, main street shopping with her grandma in the snowy north woods. Sometimes visiting with her God-mother at the base of Sandia Mountains. Sometimes just she and I, perusing the shops in old downtown. How those times are tenderly played across the interior of my memories.

There was a first Christmas when I did not have her with me. And then there were many. Lovingly and hopefully wrapped and packed deep in storage boxes, the ornaments held their memories and their tributes, unseen for a long length of time. A length of time when only faith could be held on to. A length of time when prayer was constant. A length of time when only faith could determine how this story would unfold. 

Those ornaments were unwrapped some years back and hung on a small 4 foot tree in her first apartment. I hand stitched a tree skirt to gather around its base and when the lights lit up, we both thought it was a splendid little tree. Every year since I gaze at her tree with a wellspring of joy for the Lord who performs miracles in His time.

This year the toddler gran-twins were photographed as their little hands hung those ornaments on lit up branches. Tow-headed, barefoot babes hanging up memories, tributes to their mama’s childhood, symbols of their grandma’s love and faith. Nothing to break. Everything a memory.



Linking to the Tuesdays Unwrapped community of women writers in addition to these long time favorites:

Love is Faith in Promises

Fragile, dusty pink, winter rosebud still symbolizes promises of  endearing love. 

I moved off to the side, out of range of the computer mounted camera. Really, just to let the young babes focus on their daddy [projected on the screen] and on their mama hovering about, prompting their participation in this precious online interchange. 

For the twin babes it was lunch time; PB&J diced up nicely on the trays before them. For dad, well it was late in the night for him; half way 'round the other side of the world. But he snacks too, just to be insinc with the family meal.

Their mama prompted the babes for waves of hello, patty cake claps, and narrated recent events of toddler life. Both parents began a rendition of a favorite nursery rhyme pausing pointedly... knowing their twin-duo would chime in with gusto for the refrain...E,I,E,I,O-O-O! Thrilled applause all around. 

The children 'converse' with daddy. It's a back and forth, sing-song, toddler babble of the highest seriousness. Dad leans in close to the camera, eye to eye with "his boys"; encouraging, responding in kind. 

From the sidelines, I had not expected to be so... moved. Truly it was a precious tribute to the faith these parents had in their marriage and their family despite the challenges of long separation. 

It was a mirrored reflection of our relationship with God.

Relationships often languish with absence, unless there is a commitment, a vow, a promise. Relationships often languish unless there is trust and faith in the other. Faith that promises will be honored. Faith that promises will be lived out.

In marriage there is a promise to love and honor even when we are separated by multiple longitudes and an unknown expanse of time. In marriage there is faith that our beloved will live out the vows that were made.

In marriage we emulate God’s relationship with us and His promise to us of eternal love and care.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... Ephesians 5:25

Joining Jennifer and the February writing project on Marriage over here...

and linking with Ann and those honoring marriage here...