Christmas! (Year A)

(a little late from Christmas day, but it has been the kind of family madness the holiday always is)

This strip is my 90's sitcom opening credits.

As I was contemplating incarnation, I couldn't help but think how different this Christmas has been from previous years. Dad has been gone for two Christmas days now. Mom is doing well with it, all things considered. Jules + Davy are in the peak fun Christmas years.

I cannot help but think about how in 2014, Ashley + I were in Slovenia planning what our life as missionaries would be like there and all the ways we would serve Jesus and our friends. We were so full of love.

In 2022 NONE of that worked out as we imagined and we find ourselves living in Ocala, FL (of all places) with a 4 + 6 year old. And we didn't even know what it meant to be truly full of love yet.

These changes come so fast it doesn't feel real. That is what I wanted to do with this comic. I took a small picture I drew while in Slovenia back in 2014, and I blew it up.

I was a church planter who was raising support to be a missionary. I used to be "missional". The purpose of my life was to be "useful" to God. The worst thing I could do would be to waste myself. That is the space I was in when I made the original drawing.

Now I think my true purpose is to simply be present.

Ashley, Jules, + Davy are a community of people who love me and are worthy of receiving love from me. A community of people who need me to be healthy, whole, and present.

This loving presence we share with one another is a reflection of God with us.

Merry Christmas!