• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lisa Cerezo

  • Words I’ve Written
  • Hear My Voice
  • Ramblings and Reviews

More To Ponder

December 5, 2007 By lisa

This evening has given me yet a few more opportunities for reflection, mostly on myself and the attitudes I have that I am seeking to change. Fortunately, this evening’s opportunities were largely positive, for which I am exceedingly grateful.

I was on MySpace earlier filling out a survey (yes, another!!) about Christmas. The last question was about what bothers me about this time of year. My friend Gabi had mentioned commercialism, which is definitely a serious bother of mine, especially with a husband in retail. I *almost* answered “people who say ‘Happy Holidays’ when they mean ‘Merry Christmas’ ” too, but after I thought about it for a minute, decided to leave it off. Last year – or was it the year before? – I remember being in a definite rant against the whole “Happy Holidays” thing, being angry that people weren’t acknowledging Christmas, that people were protesting public Nativity displays, and on and on.

Later this evening I got an email from my mother-in-law, giving a different perspective. Would there be a need for a public Nativity display if more Christians put a Nativity in their own yards? Why are all the displays of Santa and snowmen? I still think the term “holiday tree” is stupid, but God did create all trees, after all. His presence can be found anywhere and everywhere, if we just look. I suppose a “Happy Holidays” greeting is better than being ignored or sworn at. And of course, I usually wish folks a “Merry Christmas” in return, which honestly is really all I can do for now. At the risk of sounding self-centered, I need to refocus my energies on myself and on being a source of positive energy and love for others, rather than focusing on negativity and creating discord in a search for what is “right” for anybody else but me. God finds us all in His own way; I have to let that happen on its own terms, not stand in the way.

The second moment happened this evening during choir practice. Now I will admit, I was being a bit uncharitable in my mind, though I *was* trying to fight it. This Sunday’s anthem has a beautiful solo I had had my eye on. After all, I am one of the most regular attendees in choir, and the director has made no secret of how much he relies on me there. Plus I love to sing solos, even though I haven’t for some time. So I was hoping I will get this one. I didn’t. My friend Anna did and she did such a lovely job during rehearsal. As she sang, I was fighting like mad to keep envy at bay, and was rather annoyed at myself for being this petty. I got over it eventually and the rehearsal continued.

I stopped my friend afterwards and gave her a sincere compliment on her singing, which really was so nice to listen to. Plus I was kind of pushing myself to get past the whole jealousy thing. Her response to me was kind of stunning; she thanked me profusely and told me my compliment meant a lot to her because ever since she first joined the choir and heard me sing a solo for the first time, she had admired my voice and had wanted to sing like me. To say I was humbled is a profound understatement.

I haven’t yet reaped the full benefit of my experiences from this evening, but I have begun to. Changes in me continue, as always. And I am encouraged by the direction in which I am growing. And grateful, of course.

Filed Under: Blog

Want More? Join the Mailing List!

Updates on this site can be kind of chaotic. If you want to be sure not to miss anything, you're gonna want to sign up for my mailing list. New blog content drops straight into your inbox -- no muss, no fuss! And no selling your information, either.

"*" indicates required fields

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Primary Sidebar

Currently Reading

Lisa's bookshelf: currently-reading

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances
by Neil Gaiman
Get Together: How to build a community with your people
Get Together: How to build a community with your people
by Bailey Richardson
Devoted
Devoted
by Dean Koontz
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
by Eckhart Tolle
The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction
The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction
by Neil Gaiman

goodreads.com

Explore the Blog

3d adaptation alice in wonderland animation anne hathaway art theater birthday book adaptation carrie fisher champaign disney drama dreamworks family han solo harrison ford helena bonham-carter homepage horror hugh jackman john cusack johnny depp kindness love magic musical nostalgia pixar premiere princess leia Random Acts roger ebert romance sequel spoilers star wars stephen king story storytelling suspense tim burton tom hanks twist ending women's history writing

Copyright © 2022 Lisa Cerezo | Linktree | Mastodon