Acting on the Thought

“Your head makes you think.  Your heart makes you act.” - Marshall Johnson

A few months ago, we received an unexpected package in the mail.  Upon opening it, we found a photo album that had Christmas card pictures of our family through the years.  What a wonderful surprise to receive such a special gift from some dear friends.  Larry and I enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing the changes through the years.

During the early years, the pictures were of the boys and then in later years all of us were in the photographs.  Usually in November, we would plan a time and place to take the picture.  The boys would often joke that one of their favorite sounds at Christmas was the whirring sound the camera made as it would rewind the film and the photo session was over.  Little did they know, I took a second roll of film just in case

One specific picture brought back one of those treasured memories from the heart moments.  A little background information first.  Christmas was about the only time that the boys wore matching or coordinating clothes.  I only got by with that for a few years.  Even with Brad and Chad being twins, they didn’t always dress alike and when they did their matching outfits were usually different colors.  If one needed their clothes changed for the day I did not change the other one for the sake of having them coordinate.  As they grew older, they did not dress the same except for the camp, choir, or school shirts when a group wore them.  So you can easily imagine my shock while sitting at breakfast at Camp Tallowood one summer.  Brad and Chad were in high school and Scott was a college sponsor that year.  Brad was the first one to come into breakfast that day.  He came by and told me good morning.  I commented that I liked his choice of shirt and shorts that he had bought before coming to camp.  A few minutes after he left, Chad came in and greeted me.  He was wearing the same kind of shirt and shorts!  I was thinking about how shocked he and Brad were going to be when they saw that they had bought and were wearing the same kind of clothes.  Then Scott walked up dressed the same!  With much laughter Brad joined them.  The guys had gone shopping together before camp and decided to purchase matching outfits to surprise me (and give me a hard time about dressing them alike when they were younger).  That afternoon, they had a friend take their picture.  When the picture was developed, after camp, they presented it to me and told me they had it made for the Christmas card picture. 

The early picture idea worked so well that the next summer, when they went on the church high school choir mission trip to Switzerland and Hungary, they had their picture made with the Swiss Alps in the background for the Christmas card.  This time they weren't dressed alike but because of their thoughtfulness, the picture was made and selected so I didn’t even have to spend time deciding which one to choose.

The boys knew that the Christmas card picture was an important tradition for me.  Not only did they think ahead about buying the same shirts and shorts and surprising me by having someone take their picture, they put the plan into action.  Since Buck and Nelva thought to collect our cards through the years, put them in an album, and mailed them to us, we were blessed and reminded of so many special memories for our family.  Many times my head makes me think of good things to do or say, but it’s only when my heart puts it into action that it is beneficial.  And gifts from the heart are the very best kind.

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!  Psalm 133:1 (NIV)

How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!  Psalm 133:1 (The Message)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:8-9