No "Grinch-ing" around here!

("Hey, Jack. Ho, ho, ho.")

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
 Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Dr. Seuss

("I like to look out the window...and count the weeds.")

The last month has been a dizzy madhouse of work and family... and work and fun... and work and work. I was preparing myself for this to be a difficult Christmas. With my daughter loving on her own little family, my son working two jobs, college and his beautiful lady...Steve and I were prepared to process this season with new eyes and open...if not lonely...hearts.

(Nothing says "Christmas Decor" like Star Wars.)

Little did I know that as I filled up the schedule with more patients and activities to distract myself, I would only make it worse. The hustle and bustle of trying to NOT do our regular traditions succeeded in simply making me "grinchy". That's the word we use around here for being less than enthusiastic for Christmas time. That's nearly an un-forgiveable sin in our house...and here I was, the "grinchy-est" of them all.

(Love this little family so much.)

The wonderful thing is that as much as I love all there is to love about this holiday season (Shhh! Don't tell my husband I said "HOLIDAY". That will set him off for sure. "It's about Christ, not HOLIDAYS, woman!") with the decorations and the activities, the music and movies that make it the "warmest time of the year", there isn't a thing about this season that doesn't bring me back to the basics.

("Candy, candy canes, candy corn and SYRUP.
Those are my four food groups!")

When I try to be crabby because it's too busy every where I go- God puts an old man with a big beard and a santa hat in my path...wearing the sweetest smile anyone ever had. All people matter.

("I am a future professional photographer.
 I like to help Nay Nay practice shoots by eating her equipment.")

When I feel lonely because I miss my house full of kid laughter- God sets me laughing with someone special. (One of my favorites- my dear 100 year old patient told me the other day, "People always ask me what my secret is...it's simple. I just forgot to die." ) We are never really alone.

(These two never stop giving me reasons to laugh out loud.
Love them so. )

When I am tempted to buy just "one more thing" for that stocking- just to fill the empty spot in my heart- God sends me a Christmas song that puts the bounce back in my step and reminds me his money is best used helping others, rather than pleasing those who already have more than enough. "Stuff" will never truly satisfy.

And when I am being particularly "grinchy" and overwhelmed with all of it- He puts the picture in my mind of God- incarnate in the body of a newborn. Helpless, defenseless...yet full of hope and light and love. Jesus is the Christ, the one who rescues us all.

What a God we have, who gives freely and abundantly, and never forsakes us.

 

 No matter how many times we need the reminder- Jesus came to seek us, to save us, and to love us unconditionally. Oh, Merry merry Christmas, indeed!

So if you are bubbling over with Christmas spirit that would rival Buddy the Elf, or you look a little more like The Grinch tonight...find hope and joy in these words, friend. God be with you, and bless you.

"...the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger."

 Luke 2 excerpts

(This pic had to be added..just because he's so cute. If his 4 lbs of fluff doesn't make you smile, get help. Teeheehee)

I definitely get Job's wife...

What is it about a good story that causes it to stick with us so well? Or a negative one?
 
I heard from a dear friend recently who told me she was losing her faith. That she had prayed and prayed about a broken marriage and the daily struggles, and God never once gave her what she prayed for. She wanted to quit on God, because He had not helped her...ever.

I tried to encourage her with all that I had seen Him do in her life. But she wouldn't hear it. When I told her I would keep praying for her anyways, she said "Good luck."

I get her.

I held the hand of a sweet little mother who had to say goodbye to a much longed for baby. The joy and excitement that came with being an expectant mother was stripped away by her God, in tears and pain. And as I sat with her and cried...she sighed and said "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be His name." Job 1:20

And I get her too. 

One story breaks my heart in it's despair. It is so sad to see someone quit when you know the finish line is just around the bend.

The other story breaks my heart in it's beauty. In the complete surrender of a faith that can be tested in suffering and come out with gratitude. 

How much I wish I could respond like the second woman all the time, but far too often I am the "doubter".
Most of us have heard of Job's wife- the Queen of Negativity. The ultimate "Debbie Downer", before SNL made THAT name popular. If you need a refresher, you can read about her here. The first couple of chapters are all you need to get the picture. Her husband was a righteous dude, she was rich, beautiful likely, with a gaggle of grown children who were the best.

And then God decides to prove a point, with her husband as the focus.

I remember the first few times reading that story and kind of scoffing at Job's wife. (Poor gal- no one even remembers her real name.)

I remember mocking her, as if she some how had acted unreasonably in the face of tragedy.

A decade or so later, I get her. Well, a decade and raising two teenagers helped me to "get her".

I think of her story...the wealth, the children, the LIFE that was stripped away. I think of her only recorded words, as she saw her husband sitting there- covered in nasty boils, with nothing but ashes on his head:
“Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!” Job 2:9

Pretty harsh...but I get her. 

What's pathetic is I have absolutely nothing to truly complain about. My life is awesome. Yet, if I chip a nail AND get stopped at a red light in the same hour- I'm distraught for the rest of the day. 

We all have our "Job's wife" attitude at times. Thank God, that there are times we can have a "Job" attitude too. I just hope that I can respond more often as Job did. As that sweet little mother did.

When I break that darn nail, or when life is irrevocably altered..."Blessed be His name."

Would you know what to do for my grandygirl?

In light of my dear grand baby and the fact that you might be the difference between me seeing her grow up, this is now your daily Public Service Announcement:

I was reminded this week of why we need to stay educated when it comes to basic life support and knowing how to do CPR. Most of us have heard the basics, but it was concerning to me to hear how much the media pushes "Hands Only CPR", and completely failed to mention that DOES NOT apply to children. Not once do the training videos I looked at, the news broadcasts I saw, mention the fact that AHA newer guidelines on chest compressions as priority did they remind the viewer that this is NOT true for infant/child CPR.

It is likely that someday you will encounter a moment where you could make a difference for someone- you could save their life, just by knowing CPR. And especially for children. (American Heart Association defines child as anyone under 8 years old, or is the size of an average 8 year old) If you wait for someone else to show up, the paramedics to arrive, that little person could be lost.

Statistically, CPR is needed on adults because of cardiac arrest. So when their heart starts "misbehaving", they have about 4 minutes of oxygenated blood circulating in their bodies. So compressions alone, effective deep pumps, can make all the difference.

The concern is that for babies and children, over 90% of the time they need CPR because they are in "respiratory arrest". Either choking, allergic reaction, whatever- but it is rarely their young, healthy little heart that stops. So in reality, by the time that child goes down non-responsive- they have already lost 2 minutes of oxygenated blood, and now their heart is going to go into arrrest.

It is IMPERATIVE that the FIRST thing you do for a child is START CPR. Don't wait and run for the phone. Don't leave them to find help. Don't start crying and jump around screaming. (I am not trying to be heartless, I am dead serious.)

The FIRST THING you do for a child who is down and not breathing, is START CPR. Please. Educate yourself in what to do, and make a difference. In cardiac arrest, after CPR there is a long recovery needed at the hospital. People don't bounce back from the heart crumping out. But in respiratory arrest, which is what happens when someone drowns, chokes, etc- they literally get the CPR they need, and they get up and walk away. It really is just like that. And you can do it with a little education. You can save a life.

Here's a link that explains the difference between child and adult CPR.
 Why CPR matters for children
Thanks for listening to my soap box, now go do something about what your heart is saying before something distracts you. Do it.
I am giving the members of my family a CPR class for Christmas (won't they be excited. )

Links for local classes:
http://www.cprlifeline.com/
http://nwrtc.org/

 ( And remember, if you try to dislodge the choking item and it doesn't come out and the child goes unconscious- START CPR.)