It was the days when mattresses and boxsprings blew onto the middle of the road. The days of a field fire on the way home from the Woods. The deli counter had no one to cut the deli meat at 10:30 AM due to the meat cutter being on a 30-minute break. When the Old Man returned at 12:15, the butcher had departed once again for his fifteen-minute break. One of those days that had a bit of a cloud of mystery engulfing it. Not bad, but different.

Christmastime is here. The days grow short the old year ends, and the New Year begins. The long-term weather forecast is temperatures in the 60s on Christmas Day. We were single digits on Sunday. It pays to have your traveling clothes on and your overnight bag packed.

It is the days of watching the skies for answers. The northern lights made an appearance recently in Carbondale. Signs and wonders, the Old Man thought. What did the eclectic members surrounding the Manger think as they welcomed the Baby? The old words promised a king forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Promise lay in front of them in swaddling clothes, surrounded by sheep and animals of the field.

Turmoil, strange days, and trouble buffet the human family. We want to give the impression of having it all together and being fully in charge of our little boat on the stormy sea. Often, this is no more than a mask painted with a large smile. We wait for the birth of the promise of peace. We wait for the Peaceable Kingdom.

Freedom of thought and speech is important. A leader who exhibits crulety and venom, hate and acrimony, is not good. We are made out of the same stuff. We all hurt and suffer tragedy. Never rejoice in another’s suffering. The road home is clear at Christmas. Multicolored lights illuminate the path. There are Santa’s elves loading the sleigh for the trip a week away. Kids’ hearts and kids at heart are having a spring in their step and laughter in their mouths. The time of gift-giving is near. The time of commemorating the gift of the ages is upon us. Our pain seems less this time of year. We will sort it, as our English friends say. Sorting it is really what it’s about. Being a servant/leader is the goal. Help the person next to you who has lost a loved one. Lend a hand to the sick and the lame. Leave no one behind, as we all must go home.