This day had to come

2:39 p.m. Today's project was to begin taking down the household Christmas decorations, from the front door hanger, to the stockings on the fireplace mantel, to the dining room table centerpiece, guest bathroom, and I just looked around and saw the kitchen angel display. As for the tree, maybe this weekend--it is actually fresh for the most part, so it's not a fire hazard just yet.

If we've missed the City's special Christmas tree collection day, Steve will cut ours up and put it in the green waste dumpster Monday night.

Most of my friends and aquaintances took care of this chore last weekend, but I tend to use any excuse to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. Just last night I handed out the last of my fudge and lemon squares! (I believe I still have a stash of mint chocolate layer cookies, "the bomb," Heidi calls them). This year I had a reasonable excuse: Heidi gave a bachelorette party for her friend Shea here last night, so I didn't want my house in that ugly in-between stage of disarray when company arrived. The real issue is that I know myself only too well--I just hate to let go of the fun, excitement, beauty and sparkle of the Christmas season. Proverbs 14: 8a says, "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way..." and I see no point in fooling myself!

Why I think that, even with Steve's help, all of the decorations that took over a week to put up are going to be neatly put away in one day, beats me! And when you add 3 hours of interruptions--paying my health insurance bill out in Jurupa, then traveling on the 60 west even further to take Heidi a couple of gallons of vanilla ice cream for a class party; stopping home to get lunch started, and then out again to my doctor for a prescription--the chances of task completion are between slim and none! So I'll focus instead on packing everything away so that it can be put up efficiently end of next November--if the Lord tarries, that is.

I recently read my daughter Heather Love's blog Remains of the Day about essentially the same issue, and her identical feeling about "taking down Christmas." From her post "Blank walls":

It's inevitable that when you take down all your Christmas decor that your home

will be looking a little sad and plain. In a few weeks, maybe sooner, it will look like

nothing is missing...I love Christmas and I'm sad to see the holiday season go.

Couldn't agree more! God is the One who created joyfulness and rejoicing--the Law of Moses commands celebrations and feasts! (Leviticus 23) God created beauty, decorations and skilled craftsmanship, commending those who are painstaking in their work. Have you read the fabulous details of the decoration of the Tabernacle for the wilderness journey (Exodus 25-31)? Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem (I Kings 6-8) was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!

Are six weeks of enjoyment sandwiched between two weeks of labor worth it? I think so! As one of my favorite passages, Proverbs 24:3-4 says, "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

I'll pack away my decades' worth of mementos slowly, while smiling over the givers--the faces of my husband, children, parents, relatives, friends and even former students flashing into my mind's eye with each one.

Riches, indeed!