How could I have forgotten the face tattoos?

I don’t know whether to credit Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, or even the Rorschach, but there’s something in my brain that prompts me to take life’s good moments in stride and let the bad ones pitch their tents in my head. The face tats – or lack thereof – is just one recent (and yes, pathetic) example.

We’d managed to secure a tailgate spot and football tix for our crew of 16 for this year’s Commonwealth Cup between our beloved UVA Cavaliers and the dastardly HokieBirds from just over the mountain. Never mind that two of our sons-in-law graduated from Virginia Tech or that temps were forecast to be in the high 20’s at game time; our whole crowd was pumped.

I’d packed ham biscuits, chicken tenders, and the Coleman stove for the chili; goldfish and cheese sticks for the under-5 set; homemade sugar cookies decorated with U’s, V’s, and A’s; and a comprehensive assortment of cheer gear, including pompoms, party beads, and face tattoos with the UVA logo. We were ready to party—and the ‘Hoos did not disappoint. Even one of the two-year olds was still cheering in the 4th Quarter (three hours past bedtime) as UVA locked up the win.

I went to bed happy, visions of field-storming fans dancing away in my head.

The next morning, I woke up and realized—gasp!—that I had never unpacked the face tattoos. The tattoos! The ones I had purchased long before we had grandkids and was saving—saving!—for such a time as this. Somehow, suddenly, the whole priceless experience was compromised.

The Bible calls thoughts like these “little foxes,” seemingly small issues that can eat away at and destroy something precious, be it an experience, a relationship, or the security that comes with knowing we are beloved by God. And while missing cheer gear is a ridiculously minor example (and believe me, I am not proud that I gave it even a moment’s consideration), the reality is that our brains often hang on to negative thoughts more than positive ones. Psychologists call this the negativity bias.

Which is one of the reasons, I think, that God exhorts us to “sing praise and tell of all his wonderful acts” and “remember the wonders he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:9-12). Reflecting on the wonders of God’s love comes with the power to fill us with peace and transform our perspective, bringing us out of darkness and into the light.

This theme weaves its way through the Bible, perhaps nowhere as colorfully as in the Psalms. In Psalm 40, David writes about God lifting him out of the “slimy pit, out of the mud and mire,” a wondrous rescue that equips him to trust God’s plans for his future. Psalm 139 reveals the deeply personal and intentional nature of God’s creative power, knitting us together—“fearfully and wonderfully”—in the womb. And Psalm 78 points to the generational spiritual legacy that comes with telling our kids about the God’s praiseworthy deeds and the wonders he’s done: “Even the children yet to be born” will put their trust in the Lord!

Christmas is a season of wonder. This year, as we find ourselves surrounded by the sparkle of it all—lights, music, gifts, beauty—let’s pause to reflect on the ways God has been wonderful to us. Let’s talk about his praiseworthy deeds. And if God feels distant (or when the the little foxes conspire to steal our joy and and take our gaze off of God), let’s lean in. Let’s ask God, as David did, to hear our prayer, be our refuge, and show us the wonders of his great love. (Psalm 17:7)

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

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