Today's Message

After printing out the questions for an upcoming interview, I began to give them a good study.

PARALLEL WORLD:  Have you got your Christmas shopping list under way?  Have you given it a good going over yet? 

Since I'd lately been living brain-deep in other projects, I scanned through the Stray Affections manuscript in order to more fully reconnect with the story, which I loved writing. 

I began jotting down a few answers to the questions.  The answers came in the form of sentence fragments, key words, and a few phrases that sprang into my head. 

Got some unique gift ideas for those on your list?  Jotted them down yet? 

Then I scribbled a few more notes. After all, I wasn't sure how much time we'd have for the interview.  

After I became familiar with the questions and cultivated a feel for a few of the answers (which I kept changing and rearranging), I started fretting.  With all this pre-arranged information, how could I still sound like my perky and spontaneous self during the interview?  Could I deliver the information in a way that sounded intriguing yet natural?

The longer I tormented, the more I edited, rearranged, and added to my list, all in attempts to hopefully sound "organic" -- this year's buzz word, ey?  The more I added to the list, the more stressed I became, the less I remembered the why of the interview, which was to promote a fun-filled and grace-giving message presented through the indwelling power of a story in a book. 

How many Christmas lists does it take to get through the holidays?  Where, among all our lists, is room for the Christmas "magic?" we expect, especially after watching all those Hallmark movies? 

Where on my lists is "Just relax and prepare your heart for the true meaning of the Christmas story, Charlene"?

By the time my phone rang, I wished I'd never seen the questions. I felt like all my answers were sub-par at best, would sound canned at worst (I detest those canned interviews!), and that the entire segment would be dull--which the book certainly is not.  A brain freeze began to take hold. 

Getting overwhelmed just thinking about the holidays?  Are you ready to smack the snot out of the people who began piping Christmas Carols into the mall several weeks ago?  Does your heart race just thinking about Christmas cards, mailing the packages, receiving out-of-town company, decorating, and the lack of money to do any of the above?  And what about THANKSGIVING? Where is the time to just be THANKFUL for a change? 

How can I make sure I don't make the True Gift of Christmas sound boring and canned--or forget it altogether?

After the interviewer asked the first question (and I silently read it along with him), in a wild urge to push through my brain freeze and present myself and the book in an exciting manner, I BURST FORTH with such an uncontrollable GUST of energy that I started blathering.  Nonstop.  My eyes and mouth hopped and skipped from one of my chaotic scrawls of notes to the next.  I feared I was making no sense, so I tried even harder to "pull it all together," which further entangled me in more nonsensical words of "explanation."

I can't remember if I bought cards last year.  Oh, I think I did buy cards, but I don't know where I put them.  I simply cannot afford the gift he most wants.  Those relatives make me nuts, which makes me feel guilty, so to overcome my guilt, I'll send them one of the "good" cards this year.  This list is too long; I'm going to rip it up and start over.  If I could just get better at organizing.... Maybe we should just skip Christmas this year.  No, I'll try to cram in a knitting class and make all my gifts. Now the kids want WHAT?! 

OF COURSE I'M PREPARING MY HEART FOR CHRISTMAS!

After a lengthy and nonstop ramble-and-blather answer to the interviewer's final question, just like that, I stopped talking.

(slight pause while, no doubt, he made sure I was done)

I heard him say, "Thank you, Charlene," and officially sign off on the taping.  

"Gads! I think I'm suffering from blatherer's disease today!" I immediately blathered into the receiver.

The kind gentleman laughed (at least I think it was a laugh), then went on to admit, "Your answer to one of the questions did go ... a little ... long.   I think we're still in the time limit, though." 

"Can you edit me before?" I blathered.

 "Yes."

"Feel free to edit as much as you want!" I blathered. 

Then we hung up, whereby I continued blathering self-loathing remarks to myself about my insane blathering.  And now, I'm blathering all this to you swell TwinkleGrammers who are likely already caught up in your own internal pre-holiday blathering.

For the sake of ALL of us, let me now present that promised key word:

Ssssssssssh.

**

Be still.  Know that God is God.  Whether we're dealing with carols or interviews, shopping or baking, wrapping or writing greeting cards, knowing the questions, not knowing the questions, having no savvy answers or blathering endless streams of them, we need to remember that God is God.  God is The Answer, and God loves us, even when we fret over our lists.  So, at least for a moment now,

Ssssssssh.

**

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 9:6 NASB

A star.  A gift.  A baby.

Ssssssssh.

Ssssssssh.

Ssssssssh.

Peace.  Peace.  Peace.  Peace.

If you know anyone you think could use Today's Message, please push the "Forward email" link below.  Tis the season to spread the Sssssssssssh.