Christmas Come Early!

Two days ago I walked into my room to find a package lying in wait. It was a slightly crumpled parcel from the US Postal Service that was absolutely covered in stamps! I wasn't expecting anything in the mail, and yet, here it was.

Notice exorbitant amount of tape and stamps plus slightly worse for wear structure 

I searched around for an instrument to cut through the 1/4 inch thick USPS packing tape that was so lovingly applied before departure and ended up settling for the tried and true key method. When I finally got inside, I was so excited to see a box FULL of envelopes addressed to me!

Don't be fooled, there was glitter everywhere!

My congregation in Baton Rouge got together and sent me a care-package simply bursting with their well-wishes for the holidays, supportive words for my time in Hungary, and over and over again, "we miss you," "we're proud of you," "we love you." Simply put, my heart is in flight. I cannot thank you all enough for this wonderful gift. Advent is a difficult time to be away from home, and a difficult time to be apart from what you know. This box, whether intended to or not, is serving as a small white, impressively stamped, glitter-filled tether connecting my home to Budapest. I feel the support and love of my church family, and it is a wonderful way to move into this Advent season.

On Sunday, the pastor of the local Scottish-Reformed church where I attend while in Budapest challenged us to consider what we do while we wait, and more specifically what will we do as we await Christmas and the arrival of the Messiah. What will I do as I wait for a holiday when I know I will be away from so many of the people and traditions I hold dear?

When I tell someone I am planning on staying in Budapest for Christmas I have received one of two reactions:

1. disbelief at the thought of being in a strange city alone on Christmas

2. shock that this is the way I am choosing to spend my holidays

It's both entertaining and understandable at the same time. I must remember that there is no window into my thoughts that brings understanding. People cannot see the emotional preparation that is required for this kind of service, or the way I prepared for my time in Budapest. I wrote in my very first blog post that I wanted "to drink in my life" before I set off for Hungary, and I did. Perhaps it didn't seem this way, but internally I held the relationships, people and traditions that I love close to to my heart, then simultaneously and purposefully took a mental step backward. For me, the waiting game counting down to holidays spent far from home started in May.

This distance is my choice. This service is my choice. After years of turning a deaf ear to God's call, I took a chance, and while it may not be easy, it is fulfilling. It is worthwhile. It is meaningful. It is where I need to be. It is where I choose to be.

I am truly blessed. Is it even possible to count the ways? I have been met in Hungary by an insatiable acceptance. The more people I meet and interact with, the more I am struck by the openness and excitement I receive in return. Along with the surprised responses to my Christmas plans, I have had as many people tell me about how to spend my time and navigate the city during the Christmas season. I have even received invitations to join families and share in their personal traditions. I am truly blessed to be in a country that has accepted and loved me since my arrival. I am blessed to have a wonderful family supporting me from afar, and I am blessed to have an opportunity to walk beside others and experience life through a new lens.

I may be separated from the familiar this Christmas season, but I choose to see it as an opportunity to explore a new path instead of desperately clinging to the idea of the well-worn one that awaits me back home.

I suppose the best way to enjoy the wait is to simply live it and appreciate all of the unexpected blessings it can bring along the way.