Shine the Light

 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~Isaiah 9:2

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. ~St. Francis of Assisi

Christmas is the season of light and life.  As we retell the story of Jesus' humble birth in a stable, our hearts swell with gratefulness.  We celebrate God becoming one of us in order to save us all from sin and death.  So many reasons to rejoice and praise rejoice and praise our Lord and King!

If you are a baby boomer, you've seen plenty of changes over the years and made countless Christmas memories.  Some are exquisite treasures to unwrap as we reminisce about days gone by.  Others may evoke a melancholy when we remember the dear ones we love who are no longer with us.

I dare say that most of us experience both types of these memories at Christmas.

Last year, Danny finds a box of ornaments that he remembers from his childhood.  I don't personally have any ornaments from that long ago, the the ones my parents and grandparents placed on the tree looked a lot like these.

I find myself waxing nostalgic for those days when these fragile orbs sparkled in the lights strung on the tree.  I suppose they would be classified as vintage now.

And speaking of vintage, Danny also salvages a toy fire truck he played with as a kid and places it under our tree.

I know that's a bit unorthodox, but it matches the red firetruck ornament that his sons used to hang on the tree each year.

He thinks the grandchildren, who will be visiting after Christmas, will get a kick out of it, and they probably will.  And take a look at which not-so-old ornament is hanging right above the truck?

Some of you will instantly recognize the Tunnel to Towers logo and know the incredible work this organization does.  It's a noble charity that both Danny and I are proud to support.  Founded by Frank Siller whose little brother, a firefighter, died attempting to rescue people from the Twin Towers on 9/11, Tunnel to Towers helps families of firefighters, police and veterans who are injured or killed in the line of duty.  They provide mortgage-free, and when necessary, handicapped-accessible homes for these selfless heroes.

Not just in this season of hope but all year round, this organization is shining the light of hope in what would otherwise be a dark time of grief and despair for those families of the injured or fallen in the line of duty.  Would you like to join in their efforts?  You can!  For only $11 a month, you can support Tunnel to Towers and help them continue to do good for our brave men and women in uniform.  Their website is www.T2T.org if you wish to shine the light of Jesus into the lives of so many deserving patriots and their families.

As we reflect upon and give thanks for the greatest gift ever given to us in Jesus, may we open our hands and hearts to give love to others this Christmas season.

Amen!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ~John 1:1

I'm a hopeless bibliophile.  The photo above proves it beyond a shadow of at doubt. (And these are by no means all of the book-filled shelves in the house.)  Believe it or not, I've managed to give away some books over the years because, although they are entertaining at the time, I have no interest in reading them again.  Danny has the patience of Job when it comes to allowing such a collection to swell our downstairs shelves.

Last week, I'm in that same room putting away the last of the Thanksgiving paraphernalia, when my eyes are inexplicably drawn to a thin, spineless book squeezed between two others.

What in the world?  Curiosity, of course, wins the day.  I pull the tattered book from the shelf and to my utter surprise, this is what greets me.

I am truly confounded.  Where did this book come from?  I have no memory whatsoever of buying it from any used book shop or yard sale.  I carry it upstairs and show it to Danny.  No, he's never seen it before.  We open it to the first cover and find this inscription:

Janet with love from Aunt Nealie.  Christmas 1940.

Neither of us know a Janet nor had an Aunt Nealie.  Reason tells me that I must have picked up this tiny volume at some time or another, but to have no prior recollection, especially for a book this old defies logic.

Why was my attention grabbed by this non-descript, backless book on the shelf?  And right as Christmas is upon us?  My conclusion?  It's a God-incidence!

I begin reading The Life of Our Lord straightaway.  Although some of the language Dickens uses from the KJV might be confusing for today's children with its thees, thous and thys when he quotes from scripture, that can easily be amended while reading aloud to your children or grandchildren.  Since our grand-girls will be visiting the day after Christmas and staying until the second of January, that gives us the perfect opportunity to enjoy some reading sessions together.

You may be wondering, too, why Mr. Dickens did not want his account published as were his other books.  Here is what the foreword says:  A few hours before he was stricken with the attack which caused his death a day later, Dickens wrote a letter to John M. Makeham, who had accused him of irreverence in a passage of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."  The final paragraph of that letter, perhaps the last word written by Dickens, contained this statement:  "I have always striven in my writings to express veneration for the life and lessons of Our Saviour, because I feel it and because I rewrote that history for my children - every one of whom knew it from having it repeated to them - long before they could read and almost as soon as they could speak.  But I have never made proclamation of this from the housetops."

The long and short of this is, Charles Dickens didn't want what he referred to as the ". . . best book that ever was or will be known in the world" to be thought of as anything less than that.  The best!

And that's precisely why he wrote it for his own children that they might understand the magnitude and majesty of Jesus' coming into the world to save us all.  It is, after all, the greatest story ever told.

Amen!

The Coming of the Lord

 

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus. ~Revelation 22:20

The Lord is coming, always coming.  When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life.  Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord. ~Henri Nouwen

As we enter the highly anticipated season of Advent, have we quieted our souls and prepared room in our hearts for the imminent coming of the Lord?  Are we, as Nouwen states, recognizing Jesus' presence not just in this season, but in all the ordinary moments of our lives?

And if we're not living in a perpetual state of expectancy, then why aren't we?  What would it take for us to do so?

Advent invites us to slow down, to sit in stillness, to allow that feeling of waiting with expectancy to fill us once again.  Is that easy to do in the hustle-bustle of the holiday?  No, but we should make every effort to accept God's invitation to come away with Him for a while and find rest as we prepare for the miracle of miracles, the birth of our Savior.

My prayer for you, my friends, is that you will heartily embrace this season with its promise of hope, joy, peace, and love.  The coming of the Lord Jesus is right around the corner.

Amen!

Do you have any special Advent traditions?  Please share in the comments.

Thy Will Be Done

 

In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ~Matthew 6:9-10

There are only two kinds of people in the end:  those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."  All that are in Hell, choose it.  Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.  No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.  Those who seek find.  To those who knock it is opened. ~C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce.

The Lord's Prayer.  We recite it every Sunday in church.  It's probably one of the first prayers we memorize as children.  The words, said repeatedly, are comforting and familiar to each of us.

But the problem arises when these words become nothing more than rote when saying them out loud.  We speak corporately out of habit, not taking time to reflect upon what we are actually espousing with each uttered phrase.  It is, indeed, a slippery slope for Christians, young and old.

When we pray that God's will be done, do we mean it?  Do we really believe it, or do we secretly think His will should be done only if it aligns with our hopes, our dreams, our expectations?  If that's the case, we are confining ourselves to our own lonely, isolated perspective where we deem our needs and desires to be more important than what God wills for our lives and for the lives of those we love.

Tragically, this whole misconception leaves God and His sovereignty out of the equation altogether.  That idea alone should shake us to our very core.  Because the evil one craves nothing more than to work to separate us from the God we profess to love and worship.  The devil sees that narcissistic chink in our armor as an opportunity to worm his way into our hearts and minds.

St. Paul proclaims in Romans 8:39 that nothing can separate us from God's love.  I agree.  But God created us with free will; we can choose His way or the highway at any given juncture.  As C. S. Lewis states above, all that are in Hell choose it.

As we prepare here in the States to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I challenge all of you to take time to rediscover the Lord's Prayer.  Examine each turn of phrase.  Ask yourself if you wish for God's kingdom to reign on earth as it does in heaven, or do you prefer your own little kingdom of one to prevail?

I have no doubt you will come to the right conclusion.

Amen!

What Truly Matters

 

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must no show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ~James 2:1-4

Can you guess who owns the shoes pictured above?  If you thought Danny, you'd be right on the money.  Yes, they are worn, torn and mighty forlorn, but he can't bring himself to toss them in the trash.  He insists that they are the most comfortable pair of shoes he has.  In fact, he's wearing them at the moment as he's blowing more leaves off of our decks and yard.

When we have plans to leave the house on a given day, Danny is careful to change into a presentable pair, either the brown ones for doctor's appointments,

or the black tennis shoes if our destination is the park.

There have been numerous occasions in the past when we've arrived at a grocery store, started our shopping, and Danny suddenly realizes, to his chagrin, he's forgotten to change out of, what he affectionately calls, his "Hobo Shoes."

Yes, that has caused plenty of moments of embarrassment for him, enough that we now make it a ritual to recite our check list verbally before departing the house:  Keys, wallet, phone, SHOES.

Maybe, this tendency to feel a sense of shame is a bi-product of being Baby Boomers.  We are taught by our parents to appear presentable whenever we go out in public.  To do anything else invites humiliation upon the family.  When I see younger generations sporting pajama bottoms, ratty T-shirts and slippers to do their shopping, I catch myself shaking my head and wondering if their parents have taught them anything about societal propriety.

Or did the pandemic that forced lock downs produce a culture where being unkempt and lax is okay, no matter where you go or who you're with?

Okay, am I being too critical?  Too picky?  After all, the person dressed to the nines may look attractive on the outside, but that's no guarantee that he or she has a heart of gold.  Whereas the teen with a nose ring, wearing ripped jeans and shuffling along in slippers just might be the most loving, caring person you could ever hope to meet.

The message I think that James is conveying in the above verses mirrors the old adage: Don't judge a book by its cover.  Actually, as Christians, we shouldn't judge at all.  That's God's job.

And if anyone sees Danny on those rare occasions when he's wearing his hobo shoes and thinks less of him for it?  I say, as the one who knows him inside and out, it's their loss.  He has a heart for God, and that's what truly matters.

Amen!

I Want to See

 

"What do you want me to do for you?"  Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." ~Mark 10:51

Years ago, I have cataract surgery on my left eye that truly needs it.  No, I don't follow up with my right eye because it isn't in dire straits and I don't mind continuing to wear a contact in that eye.  Everything has been just fine until about six months ago.  That's when I begin to notice just a slight lack of clarity in my vision.

Fast forward to last week.  I visit my eye doctor for my annual check up, prepared to ask him questions about the seeming disfunction happening and about my frustration with reading text in books and on the computer without the convenience of larger print.  Regular, standard type, at times, simply isn't legible.

A scan of the back of my left eyeball tells the tale.  Over time, scar tissue has formed where the surgery to implant the corrective lens is done and the cataracts removed.  According to Dr. H., whom I trust completely, this is a common occurrence, and he procedure to clean up the scars and restore my vision is quick and painless.  Of course, I will have to go to the same place that did my cataract surgery in the first place; it's about an hour's ride there from our house.

The procedure is scheduled for Wednesday of this week at 2:00 (EST).  Afterwards, my eyes will be dilated for an indeterminate length of time, so reading and responding to comments here during that adjustment period simply won't be happening.  However, as you all probably well know, I will respond to your comments as soon as I possibly can.

In the meantime, I would so appreciate everyone's prayers for a successful outcome.  Jesus knows how precious our eyesight is to us as witnessed by the many references in the New Testament to His willingness to heal those who were blind.  He cares so deeply for us and our needs and always, always hears our prayers.  May we never cease to hive Him all the honor and glory, and thank Him with grateful hearts for all that He has done.

Amen!

A Gratitude Attitude

 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

November is here!!!  How I love this month with is chilly mornings, falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and wool socks.  The very best part of November, at least for me, is Thanksgiving.  This is a holiday for traditional foods and family gatherings that bring back precious memories, and invites us to make new ones.  But most importantly, it is a time to intentionally thank God for all His grace-filled blessings which He lavishes upon us each and every day.

I'm sure that all of you who follow me here are grateful to the Lord for all He has done.  But do we stop and actually take time to thank Him?  Verbally or in writing?  If you are a parent, you understand the monumental task of teaching your children from the moment they can speak to say the "magic" words, please and thank you.  What a glorious day it is when our children say, "Thank you," without having to be prompted or prodded to do so.

Imagine, then, how our heavenly Father feels when we actually tell Him, "Thank you," and mean it with all our heart.  I can envision Him smiling broadly like a proud Papa at His beloved children.

That's why I've decided to start a Gratitude Attitude journal for the month of November.  I'll write down at least one thing for which I'm grateful each day.  Some days, of course, I will certainly record more than one circumstance or happening where the Lord deserves my thanks and praise.  At month's end, I'll have a record of the manifold ways in which God has blessed me and others in my life.

Would you like to join me in this journal adventure of gratitude?  Or, maybe, you're already engaged in a daily routine of keeping a journal of your thankful thought to God.  Either way, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below.

And who knows?  We may all fall in love with our gratitude attitudes toward our Abba that this practice will continue until the moment we draw our last breath here on earth.  And the best news?  We can then spend eternity thanking Him face to face.

Amen!