Sydämeen piirrettynä

Tänään menin (tyhmä minä!) lukemaan jotakin vanhaa päiväkirjaa ja olen sittemmin taas pyöritellyt mielessäni ajatuksia menneestä, elämästä, Jumalan palvelemisesta, haaveista, toiveista ja kaiken merkityksestä. Mitä siis opimme? Älä lue päiväkirjojasi! :)

Mutta sieltä löytyi runo. Joskus vuosituhannen alkupuolella kirjoittamani, joka tuntui niin tämänhetkiseltä, että laitan sen nyt tänne.

Sinä piirsit
rauhan
sydämeni hiekkaan,
siihen jalanjälkien viereen.
Niiden pois kääntyneiden
päälle.
Sinä piirsit
Minä kastelin
surukukkaa ja
hämmästyin.
Ei kasvanut kukka.
Kasvoi sormesi piirto.

Tänään on sydämessä sattunut taakse jääneet ajat; ne jäljet, jotka ihmiset ovat sinne tehneet - hyvässä ja pahassa. Ja vaikka kyyneleet ovat kipristelleet silmäkulmissa, niin olen ajatellut, että taidan sittenkin olla rikas ihminen. Rikas muistojen määrässä.

Siispä kiitän niistä. Ja muistelen menneitä rakkaudella, surulla ja hymyillen.

Ja loppuun vielä tietty "kuulumiset".
* Hermoratatutkimus tehtiin; odottelen leikkausta oikean käden rannekanavaoireyhtymän takia. Vasenta seuraillaan.
* Puhelin tuli korjauksesta, melkein kaikki osata oli vaihdettu... ja jouduin viemään sen takaisin - kamera ei vieläkään toiminut.
* Ja pakko intoilla: Se tentti, johon ehdin lukea kirjat vain yövuorossa ja pelkäsin, että käsille menee. No, siitä tuli nelonen. (joo siis hei, arvostelu on vitoseen, ei kymppiin!!) JEEEEEEEEEEE! :D

This time of the year

Peace and Good Will... Sure, that's what God had in mind when He gave His Only Son. We, humans just are so talented in making "good use" of God's great gifts and somehow things always get a bit twisted, a bit "not quite so". By now, most people are somewhat stressed by the fact that not all presents are bought, or they forgot to send someone a Christmas card, or they have not had the time to clean up the house nor decorate it, or that the money they thought to spend on Christmas has gone to pay the bills, etc. etc. We all know it - peace seems to hide from us and under stress Good Will sounds more like a movie title than a reality in our life.

However, it IS Christmas time, the favorite time of the year for many. I don't mind it either, as there are things that make it enjoyable.

I love Christmas decorations, and I just love the fact that it is my responsibility to decorate at work. By now I even have had the time to put up something to our own front door. Every time I come home at the dark, it shines a little bit of Christmas into my heart and mind...

Yesterday evening a little bit bigger piece of Christmas was given to me. Pelle, our donkey, had a role in a local Christmas celebration. He was the donkey (wow! Who could have guessed??) in the Christmas story presented to people of our "village". He did well and everyone just loved him. "Is it a REAL donkey?" was asked quite a few times. Pelle enjoyed all the pats and scratching, and even amused the folks by a couple of I-OOH's, the typical donkey hellos. Too bad I did not have a camera with me!



And I AM dreaming of a white Christmas. The little snow we have already make a great big difference; it is not that dark as the snow reflects the light. However, the snow has come and gone and it is awfully slippery everywhere. There is no way we could ride or drive our hooflings at the present time. So, we are praying for snow, good 10-20 centimeters of it. At least. THAT would be something!

Is it Christmas already?

Already for a few weeks the shops have been bringing out Christmas stuff. It seems like every year that happens earlier and earlier. In my opinion, it just wears all the fun out of Christmas. Byt the time Christmas is here, everyone (except the little children) is tired of it!

Tonight, at work, I had to make invitations for our Christmas celebration and ended up roaming through some old pics because of that. I found a photo of a manger- setting I had put up last Christmas here at work. It reminded me of the nights I stood up, when children were sleeping, and watched the dim light of the manger. I was quite pleased with the setting back then - and still do think that the ray of light highlights the idea wery well...

And I began thinking it over. No, never could I be tired of CHRISTmas! It is an important part of the Greatest Story of all times - about how God chose to seek and find us, the lost. If only it could be possible to keep one's mind on the Main Thing, and not to be distracted to believe it was all about spending money and stressing about "having it right"!

This year, for the third time, we will spend our Christmas at work with Roope. And I am glad we do! Because it is not about what we can GET out of it, but what we can GIVE. And the most important thing to give is not the presents but presence!