The Door in the Wall

What a sweet, little book I last read from my nephew’s collection!

How often do we feel like we have just hit a wall? The way we thought we were supposed to go is blocked. Our hopes are dashed. We can’t go forward, so what can we do?!

In the imagery of this book… keep walking along the wall until you find a door.

"'Each of us has his place in the world,’ he said. ‘If we cannot serve in one way, there is always another. If we do what we are able, a door always opens to something else.'"

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli

Or, as Elisabeth Elliot put it: 

"Do the next thing."

And one more quote that I shared two years ago:

"And when she could no longer hope, she did not stand still but walked on in the dark. I think when the sun rises upon them, some people will be astonished to find how far they have got on in the dark."

Paul Faber by George MacDonald

[P.S. - Paul Faber is in the process of being recorded by a group of volunteers over at LibriVox.org. Want to join us?!]

Christmas Memories: At the Office

Last December I stopped by Dad's office for one last Christmas. We knew the company would be sold by the time another Christmas rolled around, so I wanted to see it at its most festive once more.

There were Mary, Joseph and Jesus on the front desk as usual. 

There was the retro, "bottle-brush" Christmas tree in the corner, hardly taller than me even with its long top spike. Once again it was decorated with the cloth chain and topped with the multicolored cloth star Mom made years ago.
The gaps in the branches were, as usual, filled in by all the Christmas cards that came to the office.

Then on the wall facing the front door to greet every customer hung the poster that my sisters and I made long ago. We traced and cut around Mom's alphabet stencils from her school-teaching days and our nativity cookie cutters for the silhouettes. It's amazing how well the poster handled being rolled up and stored away year after year.

"Merry Christmas"

This year I can't stop in and see it all. But today brought back the memories as we found a new way to use some of these decorations at home. 

Dad and Maren (who was visiting for the day) bundled up, shut themselves out in the chilly porch, and laughed as they poked the scrawny "branches" into rough holes in the old "trunk."

No water needed for this tree, but I got to help string the lights and spread a heavy, white sheep-skin around the base. (I have forgotten the name of that sheep we raised in my childhood.)

Then Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus found a new home nestled among the long locks of wool.

The box marked "Office...Christmass" with its colorful cloth star and garland will wait for another year.  

This year we are thoroughly enjoying the glitter of simple white lights through frosty porch windows. I can even see the beautiful sight from my piano bench as I practice Christmas carols for church tomorrow!