Holidays of years past...

Two years ago my house was burglarized two weeks before Christmas. It was the first time that happened so during the holidays I was grappling with the meaning of Christmas & feeling unsafe or insecure in my home. How one looks at the world and what safety or the feeling of security in one's home is forever changed after one's home is broken into. Despite it happening I was very glad it happened.

I am one of those types of people who knows what the holiday means for me (as a practicing christian) and what it represents but each year before the holidays I need some time & space to recapture the meaning of Christmas. That particular year I was so caught up in the hustle of getting gifts on time, and visiting friends who were in town to see family, and every other thing that I had to get done I neglected to give myself time to stop and reflect about what Christmas means.

I remember after coming home to a ransacked disorderly living room while waiting for the police to come investigate, my dad and I were taking an inventory of everything that was missing. As I was going through a couple rooms I remember thinking most of what was taken was just stuff. It wasn't extremely important & nor had an sentimental value. We lost a few guns, CDs, a PC, any spare change laying out, some watches, among a few other items that could have been sold at pawn shop. I still had my life, my family, my memories, a place to live, most of my possessions, and my soul. Most everything that isn't a material item or physical belonging can't be taken from me and has deep meaning or value.

Everyone we talked with made it sould like having one's house being broken into was a big deal that & we had been horribley wronged! Sometimes when people would comment on my situation I was offended by how dramatic people would react or what they would say. I have three reasons or perpectives.

1st reason - The irony of when it happened! At the time of year when giving and thinking of others is suppose to be the most important quality our house was robbed (I don't care who you are - that's funny!!!).

2nd reason - The idea of giving especially to those in need. Maybe the person who stole from me was some delinquent or maybe it was someone who was genuinely in need and knew of no other way to provide for him/her self. I don't say this to justify what happened - stealing is never justified. But I do say to acknowledge those who genuinely are in need. And if my loss helped someone in need I am okay with what I lost that day (what's more important, me having a nice watch & a bunch of CDs or people being able to feed themselves?).

3rd reason - The value we place on possessions. It doesn't bother me I lost most of the CDs, some DVDs, a few comics, some change, and my watches because all of that can be replaced. It could all be replaced with better, more expensive, and the latest model/edition of those items but it hasn't. It is a nice reminder that while I have lost precious little there are people out there who have lost jobs, homes, families, and everything they need just to survive. There is alot more to life then stuff, trinkets, all that glitters, and the vanity fair. I definately don't put my hope in stuff that can be stolen from my house (as a practicing christian my hope belongs somewhere else and in someone else).