Christmas Past

This is my 30th Christmas.  It is the first I've spent away from my family (except for 1992 when I had the flu and Dad and I stayed in Millington, Tennessee, watching a "Saved by the Bell" marathon and, of course, It's a Wonderful Life--back when they played it on every channel--while the rest of our kin gathered in Illinois.)
Being on a completely different continent is more limiting than simply being sick (even though it seemed like the end of the WORLD when I was 12!) ;)  Still, it's Christmas...whether my family and I are together or not, and that is a wonderful point on which to reflect.
It appears that folks back home or enjoying, dreading, or tolerating all kinds of wintry weather, while here in Japan, I often go without a coat!  ...Granted, I could wear a coat, but I'm a bit stubborn.  I hate to feel hot on the heated, crowded trains, so sometimes I refuse to wear or tote a coat.  Later, I may wish I had the coat as I shuffle home at night, but I try to stand by my decision. ;)  It really has become a daily choice of: "Do I want to be uncomfortable now or later?"  ...I'll probably wear a coat today.  It's in the low 50's, but it's humid here, so it feels a bit colder.  Christmas time has always meant snow and gloves and hot apple cider.  (Note: "Cider" in Japan means "soda" or "carbonation."  Interesting, no?)  So...even the weather is different than I'm used to.
And...usually around Christmas, all the loose ends of school and work have been tied, and I get to focus on finding and wrapping the PERFECT gifts for my loved ones--something I enjoy more than I care to say. :)  This year, I am busier now than I have been since I arrived here over eight months ago!  My head is spinning and I hardly have time to sleep, let alone shop!  Oh, and shopping is not fun to me here.  It's overwhelming.  I don't really know where to go to find what I need, what shops sell what kinds of things, or even where to get supplies to MAKE gifts.  In the past, I've often found the best gifts just by wandering through a store, but here...I don't even know where to commence a meandering!  [Aside: My friend Seiji mapped out an afternoon of shopping for me last week and we visited several antique stores that he knew.  That was perhaps one of the most helpful things anyone has ever done for me.  (He also carried all my bags because the stores are SO small...and I am so clumsy!)] :)
And...once I've found the gifts, I have to keep my fingers crossed that they weigh less than 16 oz.  The US recently altered their policies and are not accepting packages from Japan (and elsewhere?) that exceed that weight.  So, then I've got to deal with logistics...which is SO not as much fun as making my own wrapping paper and heartfelt cards.  So...even the gift-giving feels different.
For the first time, I don't have a Christmas tree...or even lights.  Any who know me know that in the past, I've rocked some pretty good trees. :)  Instead, I have a lot of mess left from all the projects I'm working on strewn throughout my apartment.  Yes...this too is different.

18 People attended the "Make Your Christmas Red & GREEN!" event at Ichikawa's new church.  (Supplies were donated from some of the most generous CP's I know.  Thanks, y'all!)

The projects are great and the work is so, SO meaningful.  (More on that later!) :) And when I really allow myself to, I can remember what Christmas is really about in a way that I've never before experienced.
Recently, my life intertwined with that of a remarkable young woman.  Her marriage is in turmoil and she is feeling alone and uncertain of what to do in order to ensure safety, health, and happiness for her and her baby daughter.  I'm not sure I've ever met a more gracious and forgiving person.  Certainly, I find inspiration in her strength...even more than I feel drawn to help and support her.  She's become a symbol of my "new" Christmas, in fact.  She is following the light of a star and shining just as brightly in a very dark time.  Instead of speaking ill of her husband, she asks, "Why has God given me such a husband and what am I to learn and understand from this?"  I do not know the answer to her question, but from HER, I have learned so much about compassion and accountability...and FAITH.  She, like Mary riding into Bethlehem, moves through the fear, disappointment, and discomfort of her life, trusting that she and her baby will be cared for, protected, and delivered to a life of peace and harmony.
If I could package those things, I would give them to her...with a handmade bow.
I would give them to all of us.
Even amidst our blessings and even during this season of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and all the traditions this time brings, many of us are hurting somehow. 
I'm faraway from Christmas-as-I've-always-known-it, but I'm discovering Christmas-as-it's-meant-to-be!  No box under any tree is as great a gift as the love, forgiveness, compassion, and peace of Jesus.  May we offer that to one another this Christmas...and always.

My students at Ebina, after an action-packed class. Each week they remind me of the good in me and the good in the WORLD.