Merry Christmas: Faith Dance Style

I wish you all a very merry Christmas this year, faith dance style:

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found."

This my friends, extends to cross-gender friendships.  The blessings flow "far as the curse is found."  This means among other things, "joy" to the world not joy when we arrive in heaven only, but joy to the world, "as far as the curse is found."   The beauty of agape-love between sexes in cross-gender friendships as sisters and brothers in Christ can be experienced in this world.

Yesterday was such a day of beauty and delight for me at sooooooo many complicated cross-gender friendship levels.  First this was a "pre-Christmas gift" given to me delightfully by Sheila--a cross-gender friendship day two days before Christmas.

So, Jennifer and I did have a great time of friendship, food, and much delightful conversation yesterday, two days before Christmas.  Before we started, I picked up Jennifer at her place and she made us her southern style breakfast.  That was soooooooooo good.  We then did some Christmas shopping--going to all the stores many of you have gone to in recent weeks.   If cross-gender friendship is to succeed, shopping is definitely in there, as a generalization (not as an absolute) for both men and women to share!!!  We spent several hours in the mall in various stores.  I like shopping for Sheila's list--but then I like the spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment decision to see something and say, "I think she will like this!" 

Even though its a simple thing--it is mark of beauty to Christmas shop for your spouse with your cross-gender friend.  Jennifer R. and I did that before--and yesterday it was Jennifer O.  

Yesterday though was filled with God's sense of humor in our story ( Jennifer O. and me).  I can't go into details now and that currently belongs our shared happiness and communion but our time together yesterday was filled with joy and happiness at many complicated layers.  I was so happy to share those layers with Sheila this morning as we talked about what happened yesterday.   Its hard to describe it, but both Jen and I had a fresh, vivid sense God was in our journey a new way yesterday--a sense of this can only be a "God-thing."  We need stories like this in the Christian community, because what gets the publicity when "God" is in it, are the stories--well, you know,  God was in it and we had to have sex and leave our spouse.  You know, "God did this, and therefore it must mean we have to end up together in bed."

We had a very fun time, here.  This was a very cool thing.  The theatre has an organist and a Santa who leads us in singing Christmas carols for 30 minutes prior to the showing.  Then during the movie, many people sing along to the songs and react to the movie's events like they were watching a football game than a movie.  Cheers, jeers, fun dialog engaging the characters on the screen.  It was funny.  Santa asked for a show of hands and some people had been making this an annual thing for more than 20 years! 

We then had dinner--we surprisingly encountered the most mouth-watering, delicious scallops either one of us have ever, ever tasted.  I've never been a scallops guy, but these scallops I would choose over steak any day--and I don't know if I have ever said that about any food!!!  But I didn't order them!  Jen did!  She tasted them and she like went through this surprise spiritual experience before my eyes--and then said I have to try one. 

Wow.

We then went looking at Christmas lights.  We capped it off with a warm, soothing, Tom and Jerry. 

We did the same thing millions of other friends, brothers/sisters, sisters/sisters, fathers/sons, mothers/daughters, etc. were doing yesterday: going shopping for our loved ones and making a day of it over food, fun, and entertainment. 

This was a quintessential cross-friendship day in so many ways and personally at so many complicated levels.

For Christmas, Jennifer along with others, will be over at our place tomorrow. 

Joy to the world!  The Savior reigns!

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found."

 

Comments

[Christa M. Miller]

Dan, you really are such an inspiration. My close cgf and I have been struggling lately with really missing each other. I so wish we could do stuff like this, if not shopping then just simply hanging out together... validating our friendship, developing it AS a friendship rather than just this relationship where we miss each other (which, on its surface, is pretty disturbing. I mean how can you possibly explain something like that to a spouse who has never met the other person? Whereas if we were in closer proximity... our spouses could SEE the non-threat. You know?)

Anyway thanks for sharing your cgf days like this - gives me hope that someday cgf and I will be able to get to this point, even despite 3000 miles' difference!

Merry Christmas to you and Sheila, and all your friends and family. :)

[Dan Brennan]

Merry Christmas, Christa!

Thank you for your kind comments.