The Magic of Christmas

IT’S CHRISTMAS! Well… almost! I can’t believe it’s only a week away! I never really thought about it before this year, but I truly believe having Christmas at the end of the year is the best! This year has been full of surprises, hardships, and just tons of things no one saw coming! But I am so thankful we get to end it in celebration!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! HANDS DOWN! I’ll fight whoever disagrees! Not really, but you get the picture! It’s so special and wonderful and MAGICAL! But this year, the special and wonderful and magical is something I have to chose. We found out that our oldest daughter was diagnosed with Autism on the first day of December. If that isn’t a mood killer right before the most magical time of year, I don’t know what is.

I could chose to be mad. Mad at the baby in the manger who didn’t stop this from happening to my daughter. Mad that it just seems like the worst time for this to happen. Mad because, “Why her?” It’s not fair.

But you know what I have preached to the choir a million times and now I’m just preaching to myself? Life happens. No rhyme or reason. No ifs ands or buts. And if you’re reading this, please know that bad things don’t happen to you because God does it or because He wants it to. He is good. He is love. He is faithful. He can’t be anything but good, loving, and faithful. So, yes, life happens. Excuse my language, but CRAP happens! We have a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Jesus). I don’t know how people do it without Him. Honestly.

Another thing is that Christmas is just hard this year. Opal doesn’t play with toys right now, and she isn’t talking so she can’t really tell us what she wants for Christmas. We have to guess. And it is way harder than you would think! We have had to be so creative and do things I never thought I would do! Like put a swing in our living room just for her! Never say never people!

But I want to leave you with two things. Number one, just because Christmas may look “different” this year, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Often times, the “different” years are the ones that you and your children will never forget. And number two, this is just a praise report that I am in tears over! And I really think it’s some Christmas magic from the Big Man (or should I say little baby?) himself! We went to an ABA facility today for an evaluation and while we were there, Opal saw Santa. You can’t miss that smile on her face! On our way home, in the Starbucks drive through (of course!) Opal said, “you’re welcome!” And I just sat there astonished questioning if she had really said it or if I was imagining it. Then tonight, right before Opal went to bed, she said, “Momma.” She has said this for a few days but she usually says “mom” for “more” so I thought she was just putting a spin on “Mom.” BUT GUYS, as soon as she said, “Momma,” my husband and I looked at each other and smiled. BUT THEN SHE SAID “Daddy,” right afterwards. Tears people. Cue the waterworks. My sweet, darling, gracious, beautiful, perfect girl finally said Momma and Daddy again. This is NOTHING short of a Christmas miracle!

I fully believe that this girl has a huge calling on her life for multiple reasons, and her mouth being silenced is just proof to me that she’s going to have a louder voice than the enemy has tried to silence! She will speak again, she already is. But I’m standing on it!

It’s 2020. I know it’s hard, but even in difficult times, even in 2020, we need to be thankful and find the good in everything! If we don’t see any, then we just aren’t looking hard enough!