Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

Yesterday, when the rain was about to come down, we were not ready for it. I’ve been rehabbing a garage and turning it into a guest room. So I had power tools, drywall, lumber, and more all laid out to keep the project going between other engagements.

The kids had scooters, bikes, remote control cars and more out too. There was a bag of cat litter by the door. There was a bucket with tools that threatened to fill up and ruin said tools.

Anyway — there was a lot to pack up as the thunder rolled.

The kids love rain. They like to watch it come down and play outside while it’s raining. They get excited when the rain comes in. On a normal day, Karrie loves it too — it reminds her of fall where she grew up.

But we were scrambling to get the stuff in so no one was enjoying the rain yesterday. I guess, as the holidays come upon us with inexorable joy, how often is hauling the stuff (literal and figurative) keeping us from enjoying the natural cycles of life?

How often do we get caught unable to simply enjoy what’s happening around us because we need to manage and protect all the stuff we’re dragging along with us in life? I’m not sure what the answer is. The simple answer would be to ditch the stuff! But most of what we carry isn’t physical at all — it’s the emotional, spiritual, and psychological baggage of years past that we insist on dragging into the present.

As the holidays come, we drag out the old regrets, hurts, anxieties, failures, and more. We compound those with the need to get everything right, this time, and make this the perfect season.

How much more perfect would these seasons be if we weren’t hauling the stuff? I don’t know the answer — but it seems like it’s always worth raising the question. It’s worth asking what we can leave behind, or out in the rain, this season so that we can enjoy it for the gift it is.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Robert