by ASHLEY BUTLER
Stand in Awe
It ’ s the most wonderful time of the year !! Holiday ’ s are my favorite . It all begins with the pumpkin spice aroma that fills my house in October and it carries right through to the cinnamon fragrance that is intoxicating in December !! So many things about this year are different , mildly stated , but some things will never fade . For example , my memories of the great Holiday ’ s of years past . Let ’ s take a trip back to 1989 and meet a young , 8-year-old , Ashley .
I grew up in a very small home . Like , turn sideways to get through the kitchen kind of small . I wouldn ’ t trade those days for anything on the planet . The house was small , but it was busting at the seams with love and laughter . Christmas was magical . It still is in many ways , but those were the good ole days . I remember waiting with excitement to receive the Sears and JC Penny Wish Books . I can still smell the book . ( If you know , you know ). I would sit for hours and study each page carefully and earmark each page that had something of interest to me on it . I would go to bed each evening just dreaming about what exciting things could possibly be in store . The entire season was full of memorable moments . As a family , we would put the tree up and everyone had their designated job . Mama would fluff and spruce the tree up , dad would sit next to the box of ornaments and he would place hooks securely on each one and pass them off to me to place on the tree . The evening would end with daddy picking me up and letting me place the angel on top of the tree . We would pull out the VHS movies of Frosty The Snowman , Rudolph and Charlie Brown Christmas . Mama would make her FAMOUS homemade hot chocolate and we would cuddle together , in one living room and watch the classics of the season . It . Was . Perfection .
The gatherings back then were small in number but grand in gesture . The families congregated and actually lingered to enjoy the company of everyone present . We lived close to my Mother ’ s parents house , so we would walk home each Christmas Eve . Daddy always had this fascination with helping me explore the sky in hot pursuit of a Santa sighting . The air was always crisp and Christmas just had a different smell . Mama bought me new Christmas pajamas every single year ( and still does to this day ). I would slip them on , hurry to bed and swear I wasn ’ t going to sleep , only to doze off and awake the next morning to perfectly wrapped gifts , always in Santa paper , under the tree . Times were simple . No photo shoots or filters . No posting every five seconds . During the morning , just about the entire family would make their rounds from house to house to see what all the little kids had gotten from Santa . When I got older , my Uncle Frank was notorious to knock on the door before we all woke up . HAHA ! We would be sleeping in , and he was the biggest kid of all , up early and eager to see the prizes . I miss that .
As I stroll down memory lane and reflect on the house that built me , I can ’ t help but think about Jesus . I wonder if He misses us being that simple ? Life was slower . We actually took time to appreciate the things right in front of us , rather than rushing to make a post on social media . I believe that we loved different back then as well . We loved harder and possibly without so many conditions . Maybe it ’ s just me thinking that , but I bet we all would agree a bit .
What if we took our love for Jesus back to a child like place ? What if we did it with the same awe and amazement that 8-year-old Ashley
96 SOUTHERN HOLIDAY LIFE 2020 had at Christmas . What if we picked up the Bible with the same excitement that the Sears Wish Book brought and we gazed at the scripture and hid those words in our heart , just as little Ash did with the expectation of things to come . How do you think our lives would change if we waited expectantly on the Lord each and every day like that ? Perhaps we could slow down and cuddle in one room , reading scripture , and bask in that rather than being separated all over the house on different devices . I can ’ t help but wonder what amazing majesty we would see if it wasn ’ t Santa we were gazing at in the night sky , but rather the beauty and splendor of the Lord ’ s creation .
I want to nudge you to take this scripture and place it in your heart . Meditate on it . Memorize it and quote it as often as possible . “ Worthy are you , our Lord and God , to receive glory and honor and power , for you created all things , and by your will they existed and were created .” – Revelation 4:11
Search diligently to find awe and excitement in every day , but do it with heart that want to see the beauty of our Heavenly Father . Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see , smell and taste of His goodness ! I can ’ t wait to hear about all of the good things you all experience .
Be Blessed , Ash
Homework :
Listen To : I Stand in Awe by Chris Tomlin
Do This : Sit in the dark and stare at the stars ……. quietly …… just look in awe of the amazingness