One of the greatest benefits of being away from home at Christmas, besides the time with family here in New Zealand, is the lack of pressure to get all the traditional Christmas tasks done–the cards and letters to read and respond to, the social gatherings to attend, the demands to be present for society’s expectations instead of God’s Presence. This is not to say that we don’t have distractions here. Yet we are now freed from our “traditions” and are more able to wait patiently, to focus on what is Now, to see the “first rays of God’s glorious coming.” And to enjoy an expanded feeling of “stillness.”
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| Mackenzie Lake, Routeburn Track, South Island, NX |
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| Mt Lyttle |