Being a Dad: Surviving Christmas (The Ho

Hello and Welcome Home, 

I know what you’re thinking. “What in the world does this have to do with being a dad and surviving Christmas.” Well, I’m glad you asked. Have you ever heard of creating a toxic reaction?

As a vine, The Ivy clings tightly to anything that it can manage to reach doing everything possible to grow as long as it can. 

As a thorn, it can prick your skin when it gets tight enough, inflicting a bit of seemingly meaningless pain.

As a berry, it can be toxic, infusing our inner being with things that aren’t what they appear to be.

As a budding branch though, it is a thing of beauty adding that hint of color to any colorless wall or fireplace. 

Do you see where I’m going with this? We can be the infesting vine, the prickly thorn, the toxic berry, or the budding branch. Being a dad doesn't come easy and our choices now have an impact on the future we are trying to build within our family units.

Just as the vine tends to grow wild, so can the actions we take. Just as the prickly thorn can cause unexpected pain, so can the words we speak. Just as the toxic berry can infect our manly bodies, so can our thoughts. 

It is not really that hard to get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of this season that we lose sight of the way we are reacting to the chaos around us. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we need to step back and evaluate our reactions.

Surviving Christmas also means surviving ourselves. If we are so wrapped up in ‘the things’ around us, we become an infesting vine, or a prickly thorn, or worse yet that toxic berry. 

Instead, let's strive to find the beauty we see in The Holly and The Ivy, as 'the budding branch' we are meant to be.

Living by faith, with my family, 

M.E.