The Bad Day... with a silver lining

This was a bad day (Tues). Today was one of those days you don't really want to have right before Christmas. Actually, this year doesn't even feel like Christmas to me. For one, we have not had money to buy anything - not even a ham for a dinner or supplies to bake. Those traditions will wait until pay day after Christmas or last minute and that's fine; it just makes it not seem like the season. Thankfully, we have family that has provided the children with some gifts to open and we are grateful for that. Yesterday we got an anonymous card in the mail with some money and were thinking today of going to do a little shopping - much thanks to whoever was kind enough to give! Alas, the Lord had other plans and things for us to learn.

First, my recently root-canalled tooth, that had a temporary filling - as we were trying to save the tooth - cracked and broke off leaving me to have to go in for an emergency fix. We went to pick up Doug from work so he could watch the kids in the meantime and while waiting for him in the parking lot Rebecca decided it was fun to move her seat back and forth and proceeded to "catch" the seat with her head and break open a slit above her eyebrow. I got kleenex and preceeded to try and stop the bleeding as she panicked and cried and hence scared Jacob who started crying. I called Doug and had him come hurry and look at it as I thought it definately would need stitches since it opened and showed me everything inside. Doug dropped me off at the dentist and took Rebecca to urgent care. I was told there was nothing left of my tooth to do a good crown and could either risk putting in a post and crown and having the root shatter or remove the tooth and do a bridge or implant -both very expensive procedures. This is one of my canine teeth, by the way, so in a very aesthetic and prominate position for my smile. He put a temporary build-up on it for the moment. Rebecca got 3 stitches and has a very swollen eyebrow. Three and a half hours and $100 later we trudged home after dropping Doug back off at work to get his motorcycle and some needed groceries in hand.

Now, our family has struggled for many years now financially and we are certainly no stranger to humbling experiences or hard times (we obviously need a lot more "refining" than some others do). We also are not strangers to great people blessing us with charity and service to our family. We see the Lord's hand constantly in our lives protecting and looking out for us. I'm grateful to have a knowledge of His love for me and my family and how greatly He wants us to stay close to Him and return to Him someday.

Anyway, as we were unloading kids and grocery bags into the house, around the corner of the house came a "HO, HO, HO" and out stepped "Santa Claus" with a bag of gifts for the kids. He placed it on the front stoop and with a "Have a Merry Christmas!" ran off back around the corner. I had to smile after a long and tiring day and I thought to myself "there's the silver lining" that inevitably comes when you think all is lost and things are terrible.

This Christmas may not be overflowing with lots of material things, extended family around us, or a feast of food to enjoy, but as always we have each other, people around us who care enough to give, and the love of our Savior to envelope us and remind us of the true reason for the season. How very grateful we are for that knowledge, and a better gift could never be given.

Artist: José Campeche y Jordán