THE Door Prize

November 28, 2012, 9:45 a.m. Out the shuttle van window the sign notes 74 miles to Atlanta. I’ll soon join my beloved hubby at the end of his conference in Texas. But early Saturday morning he has to rush me to a flight to LAX en route to Honolulu. 

My youngest sister made an offer I couldn’t refuse—a round trip ticket to a gal getaway with my sisters, a dear niece, and my mommy.  Joya sent out excel sheets full of gourmet delights, museums, and shopping areas to hit. I refuse to do the beach thing. But wait. Isn’t why one jets to Hawaii for the sun, surf, with sand? Not I.

Instead, I will hang loose at a bench with the founder of our clan. I am sure she will be a bit slower than last we were together. Our mommy-daughter time will slow the squirrel in me.

There were times my Maria had to feed and hydrate me. I think I would have slowed down if MBH had not told me about the door contest. That was a couple days before he hastened to San Antonio. 

“What contest?” I pressed him.

“Oh we have a door contest at work. We have to decorate the door for Christmas.” 

I am thinking I could put up my Mom’s table runner quilt. But I was thinking I should do an Advent calendar...”

Once I crafted a calendar to anticipate the arrival of Christmas and the return arrival of its founder--my Jesus, the Lover of your soul, our Savior and Lord.  Thirty years ago a scrappy bride made that 24-day calendar. That was in a kingdom so tropical poinsettias peered into our second storey window, the same  kingdom that’s as frigid as my blog wallpaper depicts. 

Thirty some years later MBH nudges me to create a door calendar. Muddled minds like mine didn’t think to ask the follow-up question: What’s the door prize?

Muddled minds like mine fixated on this door contest like an engineer on a conundrum. How could I design an advent calendar with MBH when he was so busy readying for a conference, only to be back the first day of Advent? Two days before my flight in the midst of packing, I wheeled around Hobby Lobby and, at home, I ransacked three decades of saved Christmas cards and letters.

Midnight before my 9 a.m. shuttle ride the dining table was riddled with glitter galore plus one Elmer's glue, two flat edged rulers, three sticker number pages, four columns of dates, five golden rings (not really), 24 Christmas card cutouts, 30 Christmas tags, 50 safety pins, and wide ribbon of silvery snowflakes.

The result hangs blue taped on the door to our study. As for the dining table, it only needs a few places set for a Christmas feast. And its golden candles to be lit like the decked tree in the Morning room.

All was done SDG, Sola Dei Gloria for the ultimate door prize offered to you: LIFE fully lived in the kingdom of God.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice 

and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

-Jesus of Nazareth, Rev. 3:20, Bible