Out of Place and Time


Imagine my surprise at walking up to a discarded artificial Christmas tree today. It is a long time past Christmas; in fact, why would the owner not just leave it up for the next Holiday season which begins again at the end of next month? Even were it a Mardi Gras tree, that celebration was over long ago as well. Why now? Has it long been down and disassembled and just not put out at the curb or was it standing on its spot for all this time? I wonder.
Somehow this out of time Christmas tree represents this year of 2020 rather well. When we see such things out of place and out of time, our brains don’t compute. The dots don’t connect. We lose our bearings for a beat or two. This pretty much sums up 2020 for me. I, in all seriousness, have to ask someone from time to time to clarify the day of the week. Starting in March, with the pandemic closing churches, I would video a service on Saturday to be seen on-line on Sunday. So Saturday became Sunday and Sunday became Monday and the rest of the week was always a day off. As we added an in-person option for worship on Sunday morning, the recording moved to Thursday evening. I now record a service on a Thursday and then lead the same service live on Sunday. I often don’t know where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing on any given day. I have to admit that some people seem to enjoy my confusion! I am grateful for a sense of humor.
The encouraging thing is that everything still happens. The work gets done and life goes on. People somehow get their families to the right places at the right times. Somehow there is still laughter and joy. Love still finds us and flourishes on its own schedule. Like the Christmas tree thrown out in October, we may be a bit off our regular game, but we are still playing. And, ultimately, that is what matters. If we keep going, we will be ready when things settle in and get more in sync. And they will.
And, strange as it may seem, I enjoyed my little private moment of Christmas as the sun rose on this October day. Sometimes something out of place and out of time is just what we need. Sometimes, In some strange way, such moments end up a blessing. Merry Christmas!
Peace.

 

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