SEASONS - THOSE GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLES THAT COME AT CHRISTMAS TIME

PONDERING THE GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLES FOR 2016

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Every year I look for them: those glorious impossibles!  

Glorious impossibles are those things you know God made happen just especially for you; the things of wonder and joy that are surprising; those things you never even expected.  

So!  Have you found the wonder of Christmas this year?

Have you found your "glorious impossible" yet?

If not, there is still time.  

A whole new year lies before you.  What will you do with it?

God always does this; your know?  

He has a way of putting His glory into your impossible and making miracles.

They seem to happen most often at Christmas time, so every year during the Christmas season I deliberately look for the glorious impossibles!

I've never ever been disappointed.  

He always shows me something.  

One year it was a yard full of red birds.  One year it was a famiily I gained overnight.  One year it was the secret of how to make Christmas out of nothing at all.  

In 2014 it was a new granddaughter arriving, a house full of laughter and discovering the fact that that grown children never really actually grow up!  

In 2015 it was a precious toast made by my grandson Vinny when he said "I'm thankful for my family."  It was receiving my father's last gift to me; that of putting me in touch with a precious writing partner that I have had the privelidge of writing a radio series with because of her being in the waiting room during his final hospitilization.  It was the joy of my husband and my daughter's boyfriend finding peace and forgiving one another for old and forgotten problems of the past and starting a new and happy relationship together.  It was the joy of achieving a whole family vacation for the first time ever since the kids had become grown up and ventured out on their own.  My goodness how this famiily has multiplied; and all but one made it to our gathering!  Now it has become an annual tradition!

Many years in the past held the miracle of simple things and the miracles of presence over presents!  So many "glorious impossibles" have come straight down from heaven over the years, and I love recounting them and reviewing them after every Christmas passes.  No year is ever the same but each year is blessed in its own unique way.  

The glorious impossibles for 2016 were awesome!

These glorious impossibles teach us things we never forget.  Christmas is such a teachable time!  There is always something new that God shows us.

What has God shown to you this Christmas Season?

Most of these lessons from God revealing the glorious impossibles seem to come when you least expect them.

They always come at the most unusual times and places.

This is often such a striking unfolding of events when you look back,  like finding solid gold or pure diamonds in the middle of a mundane dessert landscape.  

You never really know that they are going to be there.  You are not really expecting them; but after years and years of solid discoveries, you learn to keep your eyes wide open in eager anticipation.  

The glorious impossibles are always made up of the special within the ordinary.  

That is where God loves to hide until He can surprise you at just the right moment and give you the gift of a memory you will treasure forever.

It is hard to say that they are all done at our house for this year!  There may be many more "glorious impossibles" because for us Christmas is only half over.  

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our Alabama Family; two of our daughters, our son-in-law, one of our daughter’s boyfriend, my mother and my sweet little granddaughter.  

Our other daughter, her husband and our two grandsons will not make it to see us until New Year’s Day because they now live several states away and needed to be home with their two little ones on Christmas Day.  

So the glorious impossibles I’ve seen so far may have many more added on to them in the coming week!

These family members coming later are part of glorious impossible number one for 2016 though!  

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER ONE FOR 2016:  The very first glorious impossible blessing of 2016 was the arrival of our little Lennon, a perfect little grandson born the day after Rosh Hashanah!  He is awesome and I can't wait to get some holiday time with him this weekend!  The world is a much better place since Lennon has arrived!  We are extremely blessed!

Our family is growing!  I've also learned that the more your family grows the more glorious impossibles you encounter!

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER TWO FOR 2016:  The next glorious impossible thing about the present year has been that of having the opportunity of starting my own freelance writing business.  WordCastle Publications LLC is now open for business and thriving!  We will plan the official public launch soon.  This business is not some new idea I woke up and chose for myself one day; it is what God chose for me because of who He made me to be!  I got a late start and had a few delays along the way; but all of the writing has been slowly growing into something substantial over the last five years.  The whole world may not yet realize what an official writer I have become, but SOME of the world has discovered it is true.  I have taken great pleasure in filling my days with the purpose I know God created and designed for me.  I feel like the Velveteen Rabbit who has finally become REAL!   The company will grow slowly in stages.  In a few years when I retire from my present day job; I will be able to devote full-time to writing.  I can't think of a better way to retire.  Right now I write from 4 a.m. till 8 a.m. and from 7 p.m. till 9 p.m. four or five days a week.  To me writing is like breathing; just another part of my day that I can't put aside or ignore. It isn't ALWAYS profitable; but it IS ALWAYS good.   I am so very thankful to be owning and operating my own freelance writing business and to give the fruit of all my labors of love a chance to pay off in retirement and look forward to growing even more focused in the future.  

A few years ago I realized my glorious impossibles were coming in the form of new beginnings and now with the official launch of this business I am seeing the fruit of those new things come to maturity.  It has been a lot of hard work and it has taken diligence on my part; but  I've never been more grateful and for me; there is no looking back.    I am soaking it all in and cherishing every moment while I still have breath and I am asking all those important questions that come along with change:  Am I giving as much back to others as they have so graciously bestowed on me? Do I care enough about my readers and supporters?  Am I taking the time to let this happen well?  What should I do different in the coming years in order to fulfill the destiny of the words of my heart that I'm putting down on paper every day?  Am I missing any special elements that I need to make the best of every possible aspect of this special time that God is allowing me to enjoy?  Am I realizing all the things I have to be thankful for?  

I ponder these things as I go along recognizing every glorious impossible item and the answers are all different every year because every year brings me to a different stage of life.  This year I have focused a lot on the fact that I want to leave a legacy of love behind for those that have given me so many happy years of a beautiful family.  Each one is so special in their own unique way; and I have certain memories that I wish to enforce with each of them as this year passes on.  They are all quite different, my family members, but they each hold their own sense of the loveliness that defines life.

 

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER THREE:  I caught myself looking at my beautiful little granddaughter during our Christmas family time and thinking; what does she really need from me that she cannot get from everyone else in this room full of loving family members?  When she comes and curls up beside me on the sofa after a long exciting and joyful day at our house and she lays her pretty little head on my shoulder and I feel her peace and quiet joy at the end of a beautiful day, suddenly I know the answer.  There is a certain sense of stability that grandparents give to their grandchildren that they cannot receive from anyone else.  This is what I hope to give to her and to my two grandsons. They know how unconditionally they are loved.  They know they can make mistakes and mess up and still have our full hearts.  They know we are going to be there for every possible moment that they want us there with a smile and a hug and we know that this love is the last thing we want them to remember about us, even when we are not there in the future.  "Getting" this knowledge from first-hand experience is such a blessing!

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER FOUR:  The first glorious impossible of the season came to me when I saw this same granddaughter playing with the manger scene.  She clearly knew who Jesus was (as much as a two and one-half year old child can know)  and she was introducing Him to her "frozen" dolls, telling Him all of their names and telling each doll that Jesus loves them.  She would sneak in to the kitchen where we had a manager scene set under a lighted tree and she would have imaginary conversations with Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the Angels and the Shepherds and the Wise Men and The Animals for hours on end.  I quit worrying about the glass figurines getting broken and let the heart of a child do its work.  Sweet glorious impossible!  I loved my first gift of the season.

It was like God focused on this little girl this year as an instrument to let His light shine through in our home.  

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER FIVE:  The next glorious impossible came when my mother came over on Christmas Eve and I saw this little two and one –half year old take her hand and lead her on a tour of the house that we had allowed her to help us decorate for Christmas.  

She pointed out every little detail to her great-grandmother.  

She had a little story or comment about each item and my Mom seemed thrilled to hear these little stories. 

 I silently thanked God for giving us that time together to decorate the house.  I knew some memories had been made that would never be forgotten.  I loved how she was passing them on to the others that she loved.  The next wonderful glorious impossible!

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER SIX:  I had made my husband a nice set of photo books filled with the memories made by our family over the last year.  

We (my granddaughter and I) put them inside a pretty little box with a card and I let her help me take it to him.  He loved the gift, and they sat down in a chair together to look at the books.  Before we knew it they had spent a few hours remembering together!  They talked about our last Christmas, this past Thanksgiving, her two year old birthday party, and our family vacation to the beach. 

 I’ve never heard so much laughter!  

She was telling him all about those books and saying “That’s me and Pop at ME house!  That’s me and Pop at the beach!  That’s me and Pop at ME birthday….” 

 It was adorable.  

Again I sensed that feeling of stability that a grandparent gives to their grandchild.  

I saw a sense of personal identity that came from being involved in a loving family which was forming in a little child of two.  

Another great glorious impossible!  I silently thanked God.

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER SEVEN:  The seventh glorious impossible was that same one that comes every year when those that could make it gather around the family table and give thanks to God for all He has done for us during the year we are about to leave behind.  

So many memories!  

So much to be thankful for!  

To see them all sitting  around the table and laughing and feeling at ease with each other is something I never take for granted.  

The love in the room as we share the festive meal and the care and thought that has been put into each little present and package; it is an amazing glorious impossible filled up with so many special little moments!  

To see my son-in-law appear with a huge grin on his face after a long hard day’s work with a bouquet of Christmas flowers in his arms for my house was amazing and heart warming!  

I loved watching him and my daughter play on the floor with their daughter. 

To hear my daughters laugh together and hear my son-in-law and my single daughter's boyfriend and my husband engaged in serious conversations felt so nice! 

 To see my granddaughter playfully giving my daughter’s boyfriend a high-five when he entered the room with a huge smile on his face; that was  all very touching and beautiful to me. 

To see the silly faces as they all tried on reindeer antlers and watch my granddaughter go get her princes hat for my daughter's boyfriend to wear was so funny!   I watched the three of them hold hands and dance around the kitchen laughing!  Once again I enjoyed the blessings of laughter in the kitchen!  I love that the kitchen seems to be the most "alive" room of my house.    I took it all in and I watched later as the living room was being filled up with colorful crinkles of wrapping paper and I thought this all was just a great glorious impossible all over again!

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER EIGHT:  Then comes the quiet; the time after everyone has given you their hugs and the door closes on the last visitor and it is just us left together in our home.  

We each go about picking up things here and there, putting the colorful shreds of paper into the garbage and piling the dishes in the kitchen sink.  Then we both take our places on the sofa and in the rocking chair; not having to say a word.  

The blessings of a quiet life. Each knowing the other had a fun and fulfilling day, each noticing the quiet and appreciating it at this end of yet another perfect Christmas Eve; and we finally get to do what we have wanted to do for a few weeks – rest without a schedule and simply bask in good memories and peace.  

It is one of those simple little glorious impossibles.  The peace that comes after a joyful holiday has ended and you know that everyone was well loved.

GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER NINE:  The next day my husband and I went out to see my Mom for a few more hours.  Tired of cooking and cooking; we took her to eat at the Cracker Barrel and we took our time and chatted with her for a long time. 

 We worked on a few little things going on at her house and we listened to all the adventures at the Senior Center and The Sunday School Class and what was happening with her neighbors and friends. 

 I thought to myself what a blessing it was to have her healthy and happy and well adjusted in this just two years after the death of my Dad.  

I thanked God for a healthy and happy Mother that I can still see and talk to and take to lunch whenever we feel up to it.  She spent a lot of time caring lovingly for my Dad in his last days and it was good to see her adjusting back to a happy and normal life.  

I could probably name a million more glorious impossibles if I just stop to think long enough; but I will stop here and encourage you to review the glorious impossibles of your Christmas Season this year.  

No matter what your circumstances; I promise you if you really stop to ponder God's blessings on your life you will come up with many.  You might want to try writing them down like I have done for the last five years in my blog; just so you can go back to them whenever you are feeling not so blessed and get a very good reality check.  

God is good all the time; but He just sends down so many glorious impossibles in the Christmas Season, and I'm so very thankful for each and every one.  

Those glorious impossibles just never cease to amaze me!  

Year after year I continue to count them and year after year they continue to arrive.  

Have you found your glorious impossibles this year?  They are probably right under your nose if you will just open your eyes and heart to see.