Digging Holes

It seems that my body is enjoying its share of needles and sutures and drills lately.

Case in point: just a few weeks ago, I had three suspicious moles removed. One was entirely benign; two might have developed into something untoward if they weren't completely removed.

So Tuesday was removal day. Other than the discomfort of the lidocaine going in, this was a fairly painless procedure, even the stitches, which I dreaded with every fiber in my body.

Before I knew that Dr. Smart* was going to do a "Let's nip this in the bud before melanoma sets in" procedure, I had already made an appointment with Dr. Bateman** to have a silver filling retooled.

Seems there was leakage underneath said filling, causing decay. What started as a two-surface procedure quickly became a three-surface, with all of the top of my tooth and a great chunk of the interior portion of it, a victim, no doubt, of several sugar sprees that rested in my teeth. And, no doubt, my hips, thighs, butt, and stomach.***

What in Sam Hill does this have to do with Advent, you might be wondering.

Nothing, other than the fact that the season isn't spot on glorious, great, and wonderful for every person on planet Earth.

There are patients, as I type this, who are undergoing chemotherapy. There are others who are estranged from family and friends. And, as I sit in my warm kitchen at my laptop, drinking a cup of coffee with a belly full of breakfast in me, there are some who are sleeping underneath an overpass on 35.

There is no shortage of pain to be had over the holidays. And no other time like this season to look around us and address the needs of others.

Say a prayer for that family who is struggling financially or take them a little basket of goodies to cheer their hearts.

Take a few moments to visit that person in the hospital or make a call or send a card if they are too sick to receive visitors.

Reach out to someone in your family who has kept their distance from you due to unresolved conflict. Get together over a cup of cider and see if bridges can't be mended or, at least, if you can't open a line of communication for 2012.

Getting off the crazy train of busyness is imperative this time of year. And, when you are standing on solid ground at the platform, you'll have time to think and pray about those you need to reach out to.

If it makes sense, reach out as a family project, and show your kids that the season really isn't all about them. Instead, it's about remembering others.

Most importantly, don't forget to include Christ in your Christmas. It may be overused and trite, but it's still true: He's the reason for the season!



*I swear his real name. He chews Juicy Fruit and is really a kind plastic surgeon.

**Otherwise known as THE Richardson Dentist. He's awesome.

***Dr. Smart had the smarts to keep his trap shut about those things when he was operating on my back. I'm sure he saw dollar signs.