It Has Been a Merry Time

It has been a merry time!

We walked and talked in the glade that moonlit night, My Lord and I. Time stood still—or maybe it moved more quickly—but however it passed, it passed unnoticed. And then it was quite dark, and the chill became that of winter. Snow was on the ground and our breath turned hoary in the frosty air.

I hadn’t noticed whither our feet took us until we came upon a section of the forest that was all lit up in the night. Lanterns and candle holders of all shapes and kinds were hung in the tree branches or scattered between the trees on the forest floor. The snow and ice-drop diamonds shimmered and sparkled in all exotic colors, and bright splashes of red berries, deep green of their leaves, and brown of the tree trunks added more substantial, earthy color. Even ornaments and ribbons hung from the trees! And there in the center of all the trees was a sturdy wooden table piled high with festive fare and candles and decorations! I gasped and covered my mouth with a delighted squeal.

We were in a winter wonderland!

All this was grand enough, but it turned out only to be the necessary arrangements for a party! People came out of the woods to join us! People! Friends! And they were real! I was a child again, giggling, talking, and excitedly running this way and that with friends at this winter forest Christmas party.

 (This picture is from the American Girl Doll story, “Samantha’s Winter Party”. I used to love gazing at this picture and imagining all the trees decorated so.)

There was dancing, and conversations, and a song that made me cry, and gifts! Presents and packages were set at each place on the table. Mine seemed so numerous! In all the excitement I frequently seemed to forget about the One who, although he joined in with us, was behind the scenes taking care of so many of the details while I didn’t even notice. But I know he didn’t mind—I think he rather enjoyed watching all of us. And, somehow, I knew that my friends couldn’t even be there without Him there, too—that His presence was the only reason they could also have proper form and substance. Otherwise they would all be like the birds or shadows back in the Underground.

One special gift was one I got to make myself—like the models or cross-stitch projects I used to enjoy. It turned out to be harder than it at first appeared but I relished the making of it! We told a story together to all my friends, He and I. Normally such a thing would have stressed me, but such was the atmosphere of the whole festive night that the energy bubbled up in me and I jumped in whole-heartedly. Finally completing it on the Seventh day of Christmastide was a crowning moment, like He was lifting me up to place the star high a-top the Christmas tree. Yet when it was done, the star wasn’t as important as the rest of all that happened at that Christmas party—it was the friends, and the joy and merriment that shine most brightly in my memory.

For, after all that time in the underground halls, all that time in the desert, my heart finally got lonely enough to appreciate and cherish the friends I have. It finally learned to care. I didn’t used to know how to do that, for I always wanted to fix people and make sure they were doing the right things. I still struggle with that tendency with the people closest to me, but I hope I am learning to love without fear. The whole Forest Wonderland occasion seemed to be a lesson in balancing the time invested in a project versus making time for people. And it was worth it.

As for the other gifts, there were many on Christmas Day, and then more to unwrap–one for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas!

~~

As soon as the crowning moment of completing that story passed, the party began to disperse and my friends gradually left. The New Year came. The approaching dawn began to glow on the horizon, and the glimmering lights in the woods didn’t shine out quite so brightly. I’m sure I was tired, and there were moments I behaved like a peevish child toward Him who made everything so wonderful. I am so thankful He understands and doesn’t condemn me for that childishness as I would have done. He said to me, “Gather your things together. We’re going on a trip.” My stomach jumped a little and I frantically and scatterbrainedly began preparations.

It was still quite dark when I was finally ready, all bundled up and toting three bags. I sat down by Him in the dark and just breathed. It was good to be quiet again.

As the sun began to creep closer we took off on a train. A train! Through the snowy mountains and deserts we went. Oh, joy! What fun that was! Day arrived in full as we revisited the hometown of my childhood. It seemed so familiar, yet so…not. I find that the scenery of my adulthood has become dearer to me than that of my childhood, because I know it better. Yet being there stirred up troubled thoughts. I had left that place when I was eleven. I do not feel old, yet the gap in years between me and many of my friends is only increasing. I cannot help but see it. My soul is not content. “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isa. 30:15)” He whispered to me.

Yet the remaining days of Christmastide were filled with peace and delight as I re-met new friends and learned to play games—when was the last time I enjoyed games?! I could also hear music, music with strains sweet and gentle, yet full of strength. It put me at rest, with a feeling of rejuvenation. With that music still in my ears, My Lord took my hand and led me away from the town and people of my childhood, and it all faded away.

~~ “It Is Time.”

I heard the sound of a door latch opening, and scrunched my eyes as the soft light hit my eyes. We were in my old “Rupunzel Tower”, where I used to spend so much time making projects and studying and doing all sorts of things!

“What?” I blinked in confusion. “Why are we here?” I asked, but even as I said the words, I knew the answer.

“It’s time to start doing things again. But this time, I’ll be here to help you,” He answered.

I looked around. The window shutters blocked most of the light out, and in the dimness I could see that the room was in a sorry state of disarray. Dust and cobwebs covered everything from cluttered items on shelves and furniture to the curtains to the floor, and books and random things lay piled on the table and floor, as well as being stacked on the bookshelf.

“You need to clean your room,” He commented, and I quite agreed! I stepped into the room and picked up a scarf from the back of a chair and coughed as dust flew everywhere. My goodness! How did I get so messy? I used to have a place for everything and everything in its place! And, look, there are my school books I never finished! Looking around for a dust rag I began to tidy things up a little, but came to a stop when I reached the bookshelf. Fairy tales! “Some of these books are new—they weren’t here before!” I commented, and pulling one out, opened it and began to read.

Hours—or was it days?—later, I looked up from the floor where I had slumped down while reading. “I have not been so caught up into a story in—I don’t know how long! Months and months—maybe even years! “It was so nice to read again!” I announced with a happy sigh, and then glanced around the still-messy room with a twinge of guilt. “I….I guess I’d better get up and do something. But I’ll come back to reading for teatime, for sure!”