Month: December 2016

“Beginnings are mostly scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s what in the middle that counts.”  Hope Floats

My youngest grandson, Reese, had an experience in his kindergarten class a couple of weeks ago which reflects my feelings exactly as we enter this new year.  His teacher was calling out vocabulary words to the class – easy ones. In the expertise of a teacher, she then challenged the class by saying, “Ya’ll are so smart, I am going to have to give you some really hard words now.” Reese threw up his hands and loudly exclaimed, “Oh Lord Jesus help us all!”

As I reflect on the year two thousand and sixteen, I realize that you never know what a year will bring!  This year has had its share of changes for me…Randy’s retirement, my adjustment to that, Mama’s sudden death…our adjustment to that, and countless other things that are out of my control. I was thinking that this was the worst year, and I find myself repeating, Lord Jesus, help us all!

We were all at Mama’s this week loading furniture, cleaning out, and just generally tying up some loose ends.  We had rented a dumpster, and we were methodically filling it up with 70 years of things!  We put her nicer things in front of the dumpster hoping some one would need them.  We put her computer monitor in front.  As I was walking to the dumpster, yet again, a car pulled over and a little boy got out.  He walked tentatively toward the monitor while looking at me.  Randy and I saw him at the same time, and both of us waved him over.  His mom got out of the car and came over to join us.  She asked if he might have the monitor, and we happily gave it to him.  As they thanked us and turned to walk away, she said to him, “See, son, Santa Claus did come this year after all.”

As we enter this new year, I am thinking that last year was really a good one.  Randy is getting to enjoy the fruits of a job well done, my mama died exactly the way she wanted, and I can’t control everything!  Just like that little boy, Santa did come this year after all.  Lord Jesus help us all.

Happy New Year!

“Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

I have so many Christmas decorations which have as their major component the small white lights of Christmas.  I love lights at this time of year.  They truly brighten those dark places and give the house and my soul that warm Christmas glow.

Last week I had painstakingly put out all the decorations, carefully placed the fragile items, spent hours on the ladder, and finally felt ready to plug it all in and relax in the glow of Christmas decorations!  As I prepared to plug all the lights into their respective extension cords, I suddenly had this feeling of dread come over me.  I didn’t check the lights beforehand to make sure they worked!

Sure enough, as I began plugging them in, one string after another failed to light!  I felt a bit like Clark Griswald in his famous scene from “Christmas Vacation”.  One little light in each of these strings was not working, but which one of the hundreds could it be?

I had vowed this year not to let the small things bother me, but this one thing was ruining my Christmas spirit.  Instead of the total light I was expecting, only a small portion of the expected light shone into the room. The dark spaces were still there.

So many people in this world are living in the darkness of their situation. Children around the world are living in war zones, hungry and facing death each day; trucks with explosives are killing innocent people; homeless brothers and sisters are enduring the elements without the proper shelter or food; families are facing losing loved ones; children are enduring treatment for cancer; and our servicemen are away from their homes and families as they seek to protect us.

As I restrung new lights over the old ones, the lights began to glow with the warmth and joy which represents Christmas to me.  Each dark space became aglow with new light.  I had replaced darkness with light.  That’s how I see Christmas.  The light of the world, Jesus, comes into our hearts and lives and drives the darkness away.

Merry Christmas!!

“It’s okay to feel shame for something and take it to the Lord for forgiveness.  But, to walk around in shame is basically saying that God’s grace isn’t enough for you.  God’s grace is either big enough for all of us or none of us.”  Denise Hildreth Jones

I had a friend in water aerobics class named Hardy.  Hardy was an older gentleman, very friendly and extremely nice. He lived in assisted living, was divorced, and took a taxi to exercise every day.   One day last year around this time of year, I was in a conversation with him.  I asked him if he had a church, and he replied “no”.  I invited him to our Christmas Eve service at Mt. Bethel.  He said, “No, thank you.  On Christmas Eve I always sit alone in a dark room and remember the night I killed that young man. I would not be worthy to go into a church.”

As he told me his story, I could tell it was one that he had told countless times before, but it was also obvious that he had never felt forgiveness for his mistake.  Hardy was an alcoholic, and on that Christmas Eve over 60 years ago, he was driving home drunk.  A young man stepped off a curb, and he struck and killed him.  Hardy went to prison for that mistake, served his time, and when he got out, he joined AA.  Through that organization, he had mentored or sponsored many men over the years and helped them avoid the pain with which he had lived.  He changed lives for the better although he never let himself take any credit.

Hardy died this year, and now on these days before Christmas, I miss him, and find myself wondering if he ever felt God’s grace and forgiveness before the end of his life here on earth.  I know God was leading him and using him as a witness to help others, but I’m not sure that Hardy ever knew how special he was!

I hope this Christmas Eve, Hardy is finally receiving the forgiveness he sought and feeling God’s grace.  There was only one perfect man, and that was Jesus. My friend spent many years of his life trying to attain the grace that God so freely gives.  I pray that the darkness he felt is now replaced by light and joy.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of Life.”  John 8:12

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”  John 20:29

Last night, Randy and I took our two youngest grandsons to see Peter Pan. I don’t think they quite knew what to expect at a stage production, but they were excited!  The story progressed, and they watched intently. Tinkerbell in the production is portrayed as a small light which flits around and shines brightly.  She isn’t portrayed as a person, only a being which protects and defends Peter Pan.  Even though we couldn’t see her, we believed she was there.

There is a part in the story where Captain Hook poisons Peter Pan’s medicine.  Tinkerbell takes the lethal dose in Peter’s place.  As her light dims, the audience is asked to save her by clapping if you believe in fairies.  It was quite an exciting moment as the theater began to clap softly at first, then louder and louder as Tinkerbell’s light began to glow stronger and stronger. We were chanting, “I believe, I believe.”   As I looked down our row, it was amazing to see the faces of children and adults alike as they clapped and cheered to save the fairy.

My mind wandered to a child born long ago with the purpose of saving each of us who believe.  I thought how exciting it would be if we as followers of Jesus began to  “clap” collectively to save and spread the Christian faith around the world this Christmas.  We have a Savior who did much more for us than Tinkerbell did for Peter Pan, yet sometimes we forget and let His light grow dim.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, remember God has always applauded loudly for our Savior.  The star that shines so brightly leads us to His manger so we can believe and live.

I believe, I believe.

“When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife.”  Matthew 1:24

I have three special nativity sets that I put out each Christmas.  One of them is a LLadro set which I purchased in Spain years ago, one is a Waterford set which I purchased in Ireland, and one is a white Lenox set which a member of the church gave us years ago.  I love them all, but the Lenox set has always been my favorite.

Several years ago, as I was placing the Lenox set lovingly on the mantle, Joseph took a nasty fall and broke into pieces.  I was devastated.  Ashley was home, and she tried to smooth over the situation by saying, “Mom, don’t get so upset, Joseph didn’t really do anything anyway.”

Joseph is mentioned in the Bible only in respect to the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, flight to Egypt and return to Galilee.  He was the husband of Mary, a carpenter, and the man who adopted Jesus and became his earthly father.  He was also a man who obeyed the Lord without question.

I’ve had the joy of working with the foster ministry in a very small part as a sitter for adoptive families.  I so admire the families, but like Joseph, the fathers in these families are so unselfish in their love for these children.  Men can sire children, but that doesn’t make them a father or daddy.  Love and commitment does.  I admire Joseph for the way he raised Jesus and loved his family.

Christmas to me is this kind of love.  In a sweet footnote to my Joseph nativity story, I must share the real meaning of Christmas and love.  When rumors of my lost Joseph circulated among my friends, Jeanne, a sweet friend presented me with a wrapped package.  When I opened it, there was another Lenox Joseph.  I was so excited, but I never thought to ask her where she got it – I assumed ebay, Craig’s list, etc.  It wasn’t until a year ago that I found out the real story.  She had that same set, and she gave me her Joseph.  She gave of her possessions out of love for me.  That’s Christmas to me!  Love you, Jeanne.