This season brings with it a chance to approach the beautiful Christmas Story with the anticipation of a fresh look at its timeless message. Every year I am amazed at the way God deals with my heart and opens it to rest in the truths that I need for that particular Christmas. There have been messages of the peace available if I could but rest in Him; the admonition to not fear when fear would choke me; the humorous reflection on the Light of Christmas the year every light, from those outside to the ones on our tree, burnt out!
This year the message was about gifts. Not the ones we might look for under the tree or shop for. On the way back from Atlanta over Thanksgiving, visiting Seth, Rebecca and Ephraim, we heard a song called "Thank God for kids". Considering all God had done in bringing Ephraim into this world with all the impossible challenges he faced(impossible with man, not with God) well, I think you can imagine how the song must have impacted me after just holding that little booger. You see, we take to heart the truth of Scripture that children are a gift of God (Psalm 127: 3). As parents we are gifted when God sees fit to bring a child into our lives. But all children are a gift to this world, not just ours to us. And to think that God chose to bring the Savior into this world as a child! Some would say, like the song, "What a crazy way to save the world". But when you think about it, the first gift of Christmas was a child. The great Giver gave His only beloved Son.
Gifts are meaningless until received, appreciated, cared for, valued, and cherished. It breaks my heart that so many "gifts" (children) are rejected, tolerated, neglected, abused, undervalued for the treasure they are, even destroyed before ever given a chance at life. The other great burden is to deal with a child whose heart and mind is already so full of the world's filth. They are hard, and quite frankly often hard to love. But these too, are God's gift and I was reminded this year at Ronnie's death that God deals with hard cases. His love for them is powerful, and He loves them through us. Look into the eyes of a child, listen to them laugh, hold them close when they run to you for a hug, and "thank God for kids". Remembering to "thank God for kids" when they're angry and hurtful, or being stubborn and willful, irresponsible and mischievous, even hard and hateful, is not just a challenge, it's a must, as much for us as for them.
If you are like me you just get tired, physically, spiritually, mentally. Like Mary you can almost hear the cry, "I just don't have it in me to do this Lord." The week before Christmas when the heavy snow came and we were without power for 3 days, well let's just say that being inside for 3 days with no power, no hot water, with 10 restless teens the week before Christmas...Peace on Earth took on a whole new meaning! I found myself stressed and tearful and edgy. Then I'd be laughing at the ways they amused themselves and how helpful they could be. I concluded I was losing it. Then, we'd get a phone call and I'd hear "Hi Grammy!" on the other end of the phone. Remembering how "gifted" I was made the difference.
Because of the weather primarily, and sickness, our Christmas program was canceled along with the Christmas fellowship. Shopping for Christmas baskets also had to be postponed. It was just a different Christmas season altogether. But it still came, and it was still holy and blessed even with the adjustments that had to be made. We had plans, but so did The Father, and "every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). He delights in giving good gifts to His children, the problem is that we don't often recognize them for the gifts they are.
Sometimes it takes a little interruption now and then, something like the birth of a miracle baby that six months later makes your heart skip a beat when he smiles; the unexpected death of a teen that leaves you bittersweet memories; a snowstorm days before Christmas that doesn't fit into our planners or Smartphones; or maybe just a house full of teens that have all the answers, to draw our attention to the truly precious gifts of life. At least it did for me this year. Yes, this year it was all about the gifts.
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15
