Skip to main content

the list

What do you want for Christmas? As an adult, I don't get asked this question much, and when I do (mostly by Dean), I am a bit uncomfortable answering it. I don't like being greedy or needy. I do like being content. But I also know that I do not stretch my hope and desire muscles enough, and that is not contentment - that is complacency.

God asks me almost every day what I would like (after I have talked to him about all the important people in my life and asked him to provide for them with extravagance, he usually asks...and what about you?). I am getting better at giving him a response. I am getting better at expressing my real desires (not for stuff, but those things that add genuine richness to my life) and daring to live in that scary place between deep longing and sweet fulfillment. It is where I live every day, if I am honest: some days more on the longing side and other days, leaning more towards the fulfillment end of things.

Here, then, are the things that I would like in my life, at Christmas time and any other day as well:
1. Friends. So many people come and go in my life, affected by time, distance, work, studies, life changes, different interests, etc. Right now I seem to be in flux, between solid, mutual friendships. Dean is the best, most generous longterm companion I have. Yeah! But there are others that I want to walk through life with in a fun and meaningful way. Jesus, show me how to be a friend and have good friends.

2. Grace. I get annoyed when things don't go the way I want them to. I disappoint myself and others. Others disappoint me. I would like grace that looks beyond small and big annoyances and sees the wonder of life in motion. I want to bring a softness to harsh edges and inspiring patience and growth to every situation. I want to stop judging and start measuring out scoop after scoop of yummy grace that opens mouths instead of closes hearts.

3. Gratitude. This is the secret weapon of my life, but sometimes I find it dull and rusty. Practice, lots of practice is what keeps this weapon sharp. I called Dean on the phone today and after I hung up, I thought WOW, I can talk to him just by pressing a few buttons. What a privilege to have a phone! People for the greater part of history did not have this technology and could not do this! I love my phones!

4. A new pair of jeans. My old, comfy ones are getting pretty worn.

5. More storage space or the ability to live a more organised and streamlined life.

6. The capacity to love Dean well and put a smile on his face every day.

7. The desire to learn something new every day and never get side-tracked by the learning curve side-effects (ugh, I feel inadequate, slow, and stupid).

8. Enthusiasm for whatever phase of life I find myself in.

9. A generous spirit that does not fatigue because it relies on God's goodness and not my own resources.

And that's basically it. Here is a photo of a gift from a friend...3 candles inside of a gift bag. (Probably a fire hazard, don't try this at home.)
Labels:

Comments

Shelley said…
that's a great list Matte!
11:37 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Names of God

The Hebrew word "YHWH" (read from right to left) This past Sunday I gave a talk on the Names of God, the beginning of a series on this topic. This first talk was to be a gentle introduction so I thought it wouldn't take too many hours of preparation. Well, I quickly discovered that the research is almost bottomless; every time I thought I had a somewhat definitive list of names, I found another source which added a few more or gave a different twist on some of the names I had already come across. After several hours I was getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data (and that was only looking at the Hebrew Bible). I wondered how I could present this to people in an orderly and accessible fashion and within a reasonable time frame. Not everyone is up for a 3-hour lecture crammed full of detail on a Sunday morning. So I took a break and spent a bit of time meditating on this problem and asking the Spirit for guidance. And then I thought that being overwhelmed by Go...
3 comments
Read more

comedic timing

Comic by Joel Micah Harris at xkcd.com One of my favourite jokes goes like this: Knock, knock. Who's there? Interrupting cow Interrupting cow w--- Moooooooo!! Timing is important in both drama and comedy. A well-paced story draws the audience in and helps it invest in the characters, while a tale too hastily told or too long drawn out will fail to engage anyone. Surprise - something which interrupts the expected - is a creative use of timing and integral to any good story. If someone is reading a novel and everything unfolds in a predictable manner, they will probably wonder why they bothered reading the book. And so it is in life. Having life be predictable all of the time is not as calming as it sounds. We love surprises, especially good surprises like birthday parties, gifts, marriage proposals, and finding something that we thought was lost. Surprises are an important part of humour. A good joke is funny because it goes to a place you didn't expect it to go. Sim...
Post a Comment
Read more

Esther's protest

I have been hesitant to write anything here pertaining to the student protests in Montreal, partly because I didn't believe I had any solutions to offer and partly because I just wanted to stay out of the controversial mess it has become.  Besides, I have studying to do.  But this weekend, something changed.  I read the book of Esther. First, some background:  the unrest started early in the year when a group of students decided to protest the tuition hikes proposed by the Quebec government ($325 a year for the next 5 years).  Seeing that tuition rates have been frozen for almost ten years, it seemed reasonable to the government to increase them to reflect rising costs.  This did not sit well with some students, and they organised an ongoing protest in which students were encouraged to boycott classes and refuse to hand in assignments.  It has now grown into a movement which has staged several organise...
9 comments
Read more