Are you a Griswold?

My dad has an amazing sense of humor. At times he can have a sarcastic quality which I think he passed down to his daughters and I am certain he attained from his own mother, my sweet grandmother. My dad has always enjoyed slap stick comedy and as a result of his influence, and being a product of the 80's, I grew up watching some of the great comic actors like Leslie Nielsen, Steve Martin and Chevy Chase. Now that the Christmas season is upon us it is about that time for my dear old daddy to dust off his VHS tape of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I do think he actually owns a DVD copy now, no doubt a gift from my sister or me. I am assuming everyone has seen this classic Christmas movie but if you haven't you might want to check it out sometime. The main character is Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase. The Griswold’s have high expectations for their big family Christmas but despite Clark's best efforts those high expectations quickly turn into disaster. I don't think anyone can say it was as a result for lack of trying on Clark's part. Sometimes the best laid intentions are simply that, intentions that never amount to what you envisioned in your head. I think the reason my dad and I both love this movie is that at heart we ARE the Griswold’s. My dad is notorious for dreaming up the most picturesque scenes in his head of how a family outing will occur. Like father, like daughter, I too have carried on the tradition of having high expectations when it comes to making plans for my family. Just recently, on a whim, I decided it would be fun to take the kids to visit the Billy Graham Library. Our family had never been and if you haven't either, it really is something to see! Right now it is Christmas at the Library and they have lots of activities that "should" be fun for the whole family. Maybe I ought to mention the ages of our children are 6, 4 and 2. My husband and I started off our trip by putting everyone in the car and building up the excitement by explaining there will be horse drawn carriage rides, Christmas lights, a live nativity scene, hot chocolate and possibly sweet treats. They were SO excited...until we got there. Not more than a minute of being in line for the carriage ride our youngest goes tearing through the line knocking over the ropes causing our oldest to fall down and start crying and my husband stumbling trying to recover them all. I, however, am trying to stay very calm all the while continuing to envision us having the best time sipping hot chocolate while riding in a horse drawn carriage and each one of the children quietly singing Christmas carols! Can you picture it? I know as parents you've all experienced this kind of "hoping for the best" mentality! To save you the entire account of the evening I will just say that the highlight was not my goal of teaching our children about this willing man God used to do great things but instead, one willful child having a complete crying meltdown involving a peppermint stick while another bounced off the walls like a wild animal who we should have dropped off at the live nativity scene! I tried my very best to give my family an enjoyable Christ filled evening just like Clark Griswold tried his best to bring his family together for Christmas. My point is, things don't always go as we intend. God has blessed me with a family that I love and cherish. HE has called me to instruct them in the way they should go and to love the Lord their God with all their heart. I can't seem to find any scriptures telling what God calls us to do will be easy, nor can I find any that say it will go as WE expect it to. What I CAN find is “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 I have no idea if anything we taught our children that night will stick. I do know that if my best laid intentions are trying to serve and honor the God I love then although it might not go the way I wanted it to, I will trust that my God will work it together for His good and glory! "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 Dearest Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you and praise you for your thoughts! I am so grateful that you know far more than I ever can and that your ways are higher than my own! Father, please help me to fix my eyes on you and to make my daily intentions to serve and follow out the will you have called me to do. Please do not let my failed attempts of having perfect family gatherings make me stumble in accomplishing your will. Father, Your will be done! In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen!