We had such a great time visiting family and friends in Vancouver over Christmas and New Years. Nothing beats the combo of clean air, finger-licking-good home cooking from Ah-Ma, and being nine thousand kilometers away from the Great Firewall. Getting on Facebook and Twitter without a VPN is a rare treat that does not make it into our reality very often.
2012 was an eventful and adventurous year, so we look forward to 2013 with equal if not more anticipation and excitement. One area that we covet your thoughts and pr-yers is our physical health. I (Joyce) have been sick (read: not common cold but out-of-commission-for-2 weeks kind of sick) for 8 times last year and jump started this year with bronchitis. Good news is that Joe has been recovering well from his surgery in 2011, but he also endured his share of back pain this year.
All this sickness and hospital visits took a heavy toll on us. I (again, Joyce) really am a wimp when it comes to physical pain, so it hit me especially hard. What I didn't remember in all my whining was that G was with us through the pain. Every single ounce of it. In fact, he signed off on it.
Why, I remember asking in the face of suffering. Now that I look back, it probably was not much suffering compared to many who are in much more dire situation than I. But at the time, it felt and tasted like the worst I've endured in my life (I told you I'm not good at this). My mind found it difficult to get any healthy perspective, but then Joe reminded me that James must have had a compelling reason in mind when he told us to "count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds" (1:2) This piece of wisdom was a mystery to me all year, especially when I was agonizing over another sinus infection.
Because of our severe allergies to dust and pets, we revamped some areas of our lives: got rid of all fabric materials in our house (couches and curtains), invested in a couple of heavy duty (imported!) air purifiers, washed our sheets and cushion covers more frequently, reluctantly put on aesthetically hopeless masks when we go outside, etc. Growing up, bare windows sans curtains would have been on the list of "unacceptables" at the Chan's. It's still not a favorite at the Jackson's, but we had an idea one morning that turned the barren panes of glass into canvases of hope:
The center pane is reserved for pr-yer items while the adjacent ones are filled with reasons for thanksgiving. Every time we pass by the living room we are reminded of our Maker's awesomeness and the people we care for and love deeply. As much as we love our curtains, the sun is now encouraged to shine through the windows even more boldly than before. While it warmed up our house in the bitter cold winter, it also conveniently took our eyes off ourselves and lifted up our spirits when we needed encouragement the most.
When the sun does shine, life seems so much better, doesn't it? We've learnt last year that there really are reasons for joy and thanksgiving in all things, at all times. To us, they are like treasures in a scavenger hunt; eagerly awaiting to be found and delighted in.
May your journey be merry and bright this year, wherever you are heading. Cheers to 2013!
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