“Living in Hope”

A long holiday break over Thanksgiving gives time for reflection and hope.  Since I don’t do shopping except online and at the local hardware store, I avoid a lot of angst every holiday season.  The best holiday shopping I ever did was giving my credit card to my daughter, who did all the shopping online, had it delivered to the door by the miracle of Prime something, and she wrapped all the presents for me.  That is the only Christmas in 39 years in which everyone was completely happy with their gifts.

I am remembering today when I was a child, the year my dad was killed in a car wreck.  I was 13 years old. My mother Laura gave us a Sears Catalog, said we had $25 each for Christmas.  Christmas came and we got lots of candy, nuts and oranges and one cherished present from the catalog.  Aunt Frances and Uncle Carl also brought each of us a pair of new pajamas as they had done every year before.  Christmas came and went for six children age 13 to 5 and we were not without.  My mother never apologized for giving less.  We all knew why.  We were grateful to still be a family living in the home of my grandparents, Mott Quinn and Johnsie Petty.  We were still all together.

Every year on TV we hear an annual report of what is the best shopping day of the year.  Prognosticators and advisors tell us Black Friday has morphed into Cyber Monday, but the other night they remarked that the Sunday before Cyber Monday had the best deals, but if we wait until right before Christmas we may find the best discounts of all.  If I needed anything, I suppose this would bring excitement.  But I need nothing money can buy, having so much accumulated stuff I am about to launch a massive cleansing give away.  I just hope Miracle Hill can handle all of this stuff.  The older I become the more I need a cleansing of my stuff, both externally and internally.  Too much clutter weighs down the spirit, lessens hope and numbs us to the real joy of the season of Christ’s birth.  I don’t care how many presents we give or receive.  None compare to the greatest miracle of Christ’s birth!

I wonder at times at the illusion that prosperity and more stuff brings.  It does not bring greater happiness, but rather greater worry.  There are more things for someone to steal, more things to repair, and more time needed to lubricate and service all this stuff.  If being a good consumer and getting rebates and points from using a credit card is what life is about, then count me out.  It is simply not worth my time to chase these things any more.

So then, what do I look for this holiday season?  I look for a little time to spend with my family.  We have so little time, even one day or a half day is better than none.  Dorothy spent three days getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner; it lasted all of two hours and was quickly over.  The food was quickly dispersed to the four corners of whomever could take it, including much of the sweet potato cake!  We did get to keep some left-over turkey from the 22 pound bird, some dressing and gravy, which is the absolute best left over of all!

Second, I like to find a quiet time for reflection.  This is when I stop to give thanks to our loving God.  Another year has passed and I am still here.  My wife has not left me.  My children still come home to see me and her.  We have a grandchild, Emma Louise or “Lou” on the way.  By this coming Christmas day, Dorothy and I will be grandparents, the Lord willing!  Mother Christi and new dad David say they are ready to get this show on the road!  Saturday, we will have a final baby shower to be sure they have all the things needed to raise a child in the 21^st century.

There is, of course, a lot of angst and misery in the world.  The third part of Christmas for me is finding ways to alleviate a little bit of human suffering and give hope to the children of the world and their parents for the future.  So many thing are in crisis with many losing hope, so I choose the little things which I know will make a difference, even for just one child or parent.  The Christmas angel tree is our church’s way of helping children not miss out on Christmas. One or two gifts can be selected and given by a family or person.   I also like the project Heifer International, which actually gives a heifer, a goat, a few ducks, or a flock of chickens to someone who needs these.  This is a real way to give people food that keeps on giving.  A donor also can give seeds for next year’s crop.  And there are several agencies who give food and meals to persons in our own communities who are hungry.  You know who these are. There are at least a thousand more things that are worthy charities, I am sure.

So this holiday season for those of us who have so many things, perhaps this is a time for some more giving way.  And if you need new stuff, recycle some of the old to those who may need it.  I understand Goodwill Industries takes old stuff and produces new jobs!

The message of this Christmas season is hope, hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!  And for those of us who claim his precious name, we can certainly do our part by giving a little more of ourselves than we did last year.  May the Lord God add his blessings to you and yours this holiday season!  The birth of the Christ child reminds us what God has done for us and should inspire us truly in His name to give away just a little more of ourselves!

Prayer:  “Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world:  Fill our hearts with gratitude and contentment, so that we can give of what we have of things of this world and ourselves to truly enrich us all in the grace and joy of what you are planning to give us in the next.  In your holy and precious name we pray.  Amen.  To God our Father who created us, Christ our Savior who redeemed us and to the Holy Spirit of Peace who brings us from death into the eternal life of God, to our God we give all praise, glory, honor and blessing both now and forevermore!  Amen.”

Bill Wilson, servant of God, by God’s gracious mercies.  “Amen.”