Today’s Quotation Station includes a Hanukkah report from last night’s celebration, which was a smashing success. It always is, though, when dining on pizza and wings from our favorite restaurant, Gionino’s. It may not be typical Hanukkah food, but when my husband, son, and I worked Thursday, well, takeout it is! Besides, in the past, we tried to consume all the fried food the celebration usually calls for and just about killed ourselves.
We joined my parents at their home, lit all the candles Will required in his desire to shine extra bright this Hanukkah, and had a great time visiting, laughing, joking, and just generally basking in Adonai’s light. You know, I just realized I forgot to take a picture of all the extra tealights, but I can tell you they were gorgeous! The house just glowed with true shalom.
The hanukkiah always looks a little sparse with only two candles (the shamash and the first night candle), but like hope, as each successive candle is added, the light grows, and grows, and grows!
One lesson I have learned with Hanukkah is that patience is key. Isn’t that true with most things in our lives? We want success, rescue, answers, and basically everything immediately. That’s the beauty of Hanukkah: the Light, like wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and discernment, builds over time. And if you’re paying attention, you gain some maturity along the way and realize this is how it should be.
I’m offering tonight’s prayer while lighting your hanukkiah as today’s quotation:
Praised are you, Lord our G-d,
Ruler of the universe,
who performed wonderous deeds for
our ancestors at this season.
Tonight is also an extra special night of Hanukkah because it’s also Erev Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom! Don’t forget to light your Shabbat candles, too!
See you at sundown when we add a little more Light to an otherwise dark world.
~The Gibsons
hl gibson, author 