Tuesday, December 19, 2017

I Wish Every Day Was Christmas

Went shopping to a major clothing chain this morning and heard upbeat Christmas music playing throughout the store. When I first became aware of the piped-in music I heard the Gary Davis song “I Wish Every Day Was Christmas”. It’s a feel-good song highlighting all the heart-warming experiences we feel during that special time of the year and would now like to capture year-round. It’s a secular song and does not dwell on the spiritual and real message of Christmas. It’s a neat song but I was compelled to take it further.

Christmas is about Jesus Christ becoming man to dwell among us for purposes of redemption. December 25th is set aside to honor and celebrate that event. But it’s not just one day and it’s over. It’s one day leading to another, Easter, and to every day. There’s no need to wish every day is Christmas because every day is already Christmas fulfilled if we call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior. He’s ready 24/7, day in, day out, year after year to hear our call.

Robert Parlante
Christmas 2017

Friday, December 15, 2017

Christmas at Ikea




Every Christmas as an adult I am reminded of a favorite gift I received as a young boy. My gift request was an  Erector Set, a toy
construction system consisting of various metal beams with hole for assembly using nuts and bolts. I wanted the premium version with its myriad of pulleys, gears and wheels, and a small electric motor.

The gift had been wrapped for several days, sitting under the Christmas tree. Every time I passed by, it felt like it was calling my name. When no one was watching I would shake the gift. I thought it felt heavy enough to be the metal construction set. I was certain I could hear the jiggle of nuts and bolts. I was convinced I was going to receive the Erector Set.

I begged my parents to let me open the gift early. The answer was always NO! That was the only gift I was receiving that year. If opened early, there would be nothing to open on Christmas morning.

Every Christmas Eve we would go to my grandparents’ house for the ‘Festa dei sette pesci’ … the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional fasting meal where meats were not served. My parents said I could open the gift when we returned from my grandparents. I should have stopped there. I didn’t.

I was willing to sacrifice the cod, clams, mussels and calamari. Forget the scallops, fried smelts, and pasta with seafood. I pushed one more time to open the gift. My parents finally acquiesced. They were apparently tired of hearing from their pushy son. I sacrificed the meal of seven fishes and opened the gift.

It was the best dream gift I had ever received, and I immediately began skimming through the instructions to pick my first project. By the time my parents came home, I had assembled a Ferris wheel. Even they were impressed. “Potrebbe finire per possedere un carnevale un giorno!” my father had remarked. (translation: He may end up owning a carnival someday)

Well, I never ended up owning a carnival, nor did I have any desire to own one. I am not a huge fan of Ferris wheels. But to this day, it still begged the question: Did my preference for childhood toys predict my future? Sort of, but not exactly.

I ended up with three vocations in life: engineer, minister, writer.

Certainly, the Erector Set forecasted my engineering side. The toy had little to do with my minister side which is more the call of God on one's life, but my childhood experiences always manage to weave themselves into my writing like my first novel titled A Letter From Miss Wingate. So, two out of three is not bad.

Oh, there’s one more thing. I love assembling Ikea furniture! There are not many people who can say that! It’s not a whole lot different than an Erector Set with no verbal instructions … and only pictures to lead your way. And there are always parts or a bolt-fastener left over after the job is finished.

Share a thought with me. Pick either question or both:

1.  What your best or worst experience assembling something from Ikea?

2.  Was there a favorite toy in your life that predicted your future?

Robert Parlante
Christmas 2017