coming home

It has been a long week. I haven't felt well and we have been short handed at the office. I am happy to help out, but it has made for longer work days and I have been behind in my own work all week. Every day, I just looked forward to coming home.

But, I did do something fun last night. One of my friends and I had our Christmas together. We went to dinner and then to a play at a little theater in a nearby town. They were doing "The Homecoming". If you aren't familiar with it, it is based on a book by Earl Hamner and was the inspiration for "The Waltons" TV series.

The story is set in the hills of NC during the depression era. Daddy has had to take a job 40 miles away and is only a home on the weekends. His family is expecting him early on Christmas Eve, but he is late, very late. Mama sends the oldest son, Clay-Boy, out to look for him. During his search, he learns a lot about his daddy......that people respect him and depend on him. Clay- Boy didn't think that his Dad understood his desire to be a writer, but he discovers that his dad knows him much better than he thought. There's no money and little food, so no one is expecting much for Christmas, but of course Daddy shows up at the end with a bag full of gifts and saves the day!!
Made me think of our "Heavenly Daddy". As we seek Him and learn more of His truth, we get to know Him better (and find out how very well He knows us!) and the result is many wonderful gifts.......faith, grace, mercy, wisdom, forgiveness.....and the list goes on and on. And the Word also says He "rejoices " over us when we "come home". How much we have to be thankful for this Christmas! I want my mind, heart, words and actions to be set on that these next two weeks.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace."
John 1: 14 & 16