Most all of us have
Christmas memories that are unforgettable and continue to linger. For some of us, those memories are good and
for others of us those memories are not so good. Christmas 2000 was a Christmas that I will
never forget. My late Mom was in the
hospital and nursing home that Christmas recovering from back surgery in early
December 2000. I remember making my way
from my home to my hometown of Burlington to visit her in the hospital before
I had some “Christmas moments” with Ann
and our girls. It would turn out to be my Mom’s last
Christmas before her death in August
My brother Tony, my
step-father Beamon, and I had made the decision that we would not exchange Christmas gifts until Mom was able to be back
home. Since Mom had been sick, I had
bought her a nightgown for her Christmas present. Though Ann and the girls were much more
proficient in wrapping Christmas gifts that I was, I insisted that I would wrap
her gift even though the gift wrapping was far from perfect.
Shortly after her death in
August 2001, I discovered her Christmas gift in a closet. It was a Christmas gift that was never
given. Nursing home visits, rehab,
physical therapy, and other things seemed to get in the way of giving her that
nightgown. Though my memory is a blur
over 20 years later, I seem to recall that I took the nightgown and donated it
to the local Goodwill Store. Perhaps
some other person got the benefeit of a gift that was never given.
In these December days, many
will offer gifts to young and old:
children, family, friends, co-workers, community helpers (like the
postman and the person who delivers our newspaper). I wonder if there is a gift that you will
not give this year?
·
Will you offer
the gift of an “I’m sorry” to a friend or family member with which a dispute
still lingers?
·
Will you offer
the gift of a visit to a friend or family member you have not seen in the
longest time?
·
Will you give
the gift of taking time to spend with God in prayer and praise and get
re-acquainted on His Son’s birthday?
While
Christmas is only days away, there is still time and these are gifts you can
afford if you would only invest the time.
Have a joy-filled week and a blessed Christmas. Emmanuel, God is with
us.- Pastor Randy Wall
PRAYER
-- God, we give you thanks for the
unspeakable gift that is ours in Jesus Christ.
Richly we have been given. Let
us richly give. Amen.
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