You know you’re too busy this time of year to pray–too busy shopping, cooking, going down that list and seeing whom you’ve missed, sending cards, crossing names off of lists (hallelujah), humming a carol and telling yourself, “I don’t have time to pray.”
Hey, you know, all that stuff you’re doing can just be part of your prayer. Tie the bow on that package with a prayer of thanks and care and wonder for the person who’s getting the gift. Give prayers for all those names on that list. You’re loved. You’re cared for. You are part of God’s huge human family.
I grew up with a Mom who believed in making presents for Christmas. Every year we seemed to have some craft project. Stars out of straws, ornaments from pieces of glass, collages from colored tissue paper, wood blocks, handmade cards, stained-glass pictures with crayons, candles molded in old milk bottles (we loved doing that), crèches from clay, ornaments out of papier mâché. I can see us sitting at the little table in the playroom, our heads bent over some project. Not everything always turned out right. Not everything was beautiful. I often thought that something store-bought would look much nicer for my grandmother or great-aunt or some relative we only saw once a year. “No,” Mom said with authority. “They love it when you make something.”
What a great lesson in prayer. Think of it as a package you’re making for someone. A heavenly gift you’re going to send. You dream big dreams for your loved ones, you hatch big spiritual plans, you wish them abundant gifts for Christmas. More than you could possibly buy online or at a store.
I just found this woodblock. Something I made at one of those Christmas craft sessions with Mom years ago. Didn’t remember doing it. But it certainly is handmade, hardly perfect. I’m trying to picture my 10-year-old self struggling over that lettering, digging in the knife for each word and doing it in reverse so that it would print OK. “Merry Christmas… Ricky.”
There it is, as imperfect as a prayer and just perfect because it was made with love. Good enough.
