Santa Claus in my garage!

I love a good deal, especially around Christmas time! I had my online shopping cart ready to go and when Black Friday and Cyber Monday hit- boom! My Christmas shopping for a family of five was complete! A couple of days later, I was resting on the couch recuperating from surgery. My mom has been in town for the past couple of weeks to help out. I can’t lift more than ten pounds while I am recovering and my baby is close to 18 pounds. So, grandma to the rescue!

While I was resting on the couch, I heard a lot of rustling noise in my garage. I knew that nobody else was at home. My husband was at work and my mom took the baby to go pick up the older kids from school. I couldn’t figure out what in the world was clattering in my garage! I went out to investigate. Lo and behold, there was a tower of brown boxes stacked neatly and nicely in my garage right by the door to the house. For a moment, I thought Santa Claus has visited my house! Then it occurred to me, that I had a very courteous UPS driver that day.

I’m quite sure that it took extra time and effort, and more than one trip, for the UPS driver to bring all of those boxes up our long driveway and deep into our garage. I was so grateful for his thoughtfulness and yelled a “thank you” to him across the cul-de-sac. The UPS driver inspired me to examine my first couple of days of Advent.

On the First Sunday of Advent, I was two days post-surgery from having a likely benign breast tumor removed. This was my 14th surgery, and probably the easiest surgery I’ve had. So, I didn’t feel the need to use it as an excuse to skip Mass. After all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the highest form of worship and worshiping Christ is abundantly healing on so many levels. During the first week, my family and I have dutifully read from Holy Scripture each night about Christ’s lineage and the foretelling of John the Baptist. We have read about how light will always overcome darkness. We have decorated our house in preparation for Christmas and have even hung our stockings. But have we really devoted our time in preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ?

You may ask, hasn’t Christ already come? Why bother wondering if He will come again? Brothers and sisters, Christ comes to us each and every day! We owe it to Him to start our day in such a way that every morning, the Devil says, “Oh crap! She’s up again!” Let’s live our days giving each and every moment to Christ. Even when you feel burdened with the mundane stuff, remember that “Christ is in the pots and pans.” St. Mother Teresa was adamant that we recognize and give glory to Christ no matter how simple our task may be or how large our mountain is to overcome.

On this feast of St. Nicholas, I wish you a very blessed Advent as you prepare your hearts and homes to receive the. Christ child.