The last time I was in my home country of Scotland was over the winter break in December 2009. I had just finished my penultimate semester in Seminary and had 24 hours after completing my last final to pack and get ready to fly across the ocean (on a jet plane of course). Being tired and not a little emotional at making this trip home having not been there since January 2008, I decided to do the sensible thing and go the to the all-night seminary "it is finished" party, watch a few shows of "Friends," while falling asleep on the sofa. Logical thinking led to believe that by not going to bed I would be able to finish packing and look forward to several hours at airports, airline sleeping while vertical and movies on a too small screen.
However, all that was all OK because soon I would be back with my ain (own) folk and paying for my Starbucks with pound sterling rather than dollars. Perhaps it was my rosy coloured thinking of Christmases past but all I could imagine was enjoying a Eggnog latte made at home. However, to make that particular style of latte, one needs eggnog but Scotland has bad memories of that additive as being of an alcoholic nature so it doesn't stock it - anywhere. I tried the old favourites: Marks and Spencer, Tescos, Sainburys...even Waitrose and Safeway but no one has it on their shelves. My dream of having an Eggnog latte was over - at least on this side of the ocean.
Why am I telling you this? Because today we bought, for the first time in 2011, eggnog and so tomorrow morning, that particular elixir will complement my morning coffee and I will sit on the deck, looking across to the Olympic range of mountains and thank God for this seasonal pointer to the period of time we remember and celebrate God breaking into the human world and putting on skin for us because God loved the world THAT much.
