Christmas Omletes



Are you salivating yet?

Three eggs cooked in a black Teflon pan. When the bottom of the eggs are nearly cooked add olives, cheese, cubed ham, fresh tomatoes, & a slice or two of bacon. Fold egg over enveloping meet, fruit, & vegetables in an egg-hug. Plate & drench with maple syrup. Serve with toast (butter & strawberry jam) & a glass of chocolate milk or orange juice. Don't forget your fork & a napkin.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

Every Christmas for as long as I can remember has started, not with sight, but with a yummy smell & homey, sizzling sounds. I wake up hearing Dad & Mom's voices drift down the hallway accompanied by the low sizzle of bacon on the grill & the clinking of a spatula on a metal pan. I lift my head off of my pillow with my eyes closed & take a deep breath of the heavenly smell of bacon & eggs. The scent of my favorite breakfast foods gives me the energy to roll out of bed & get ready for the day.

Christmas omelets are arguable my favorite Lawson family tradition. And it's not just the eggs & bacon that put this tradition on the top of my list (though, eating pig always advances a tradition in my mind). The whole experience--the sounds, the smells, the tastes, & the family togetherness--makes each Christmas omelet a special one. Christmas omelets just mark the start of a day of celebration. A celebration of the gift of Christ & the family He has given me.

Over the years, many family traditions have changed. Our family, immediate & extended, has grown & some have moved on. Get togethers aren't as practical as they used to be & this year had struggles unique to itself just as each Christmas omlet is unique from the ones that were eaten before. My selection of fillings doesn't mean that one omlet is better or worse than another, it's just different.

 I love eating my omlet, but I've never been able to finish one yet. But every year I ask Dad to make me a Christmas omlet just like the year before. Sometimes when life begins to overwhelm me I think about my Christmas omlet. I can't handle a year's, or even a week;s, worth of plans in one day. I've got to take life a bite at a time & rely on God to get me through the entire meal.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, wait to open your eyes & just take a deep breath. Breathe in life & let that enticing smell motivate you to get out of bed & taste the Lord's blessings.