Grace at Christmas

                                                          Grace at Christmas

Christmas is a time of reflection. This year is no exception. When I was 11, my maternal grandfather was hospitalized with an intestinal blockage as complications of severe diverticulitis. His illness was severe and the hospitalization long.  I do not remember much about that Christmas except that it seemed as though a cloud hung over it.  I remember assembling with two of my cousins, a brother and a sister down in our playroom … we were going to do something to cheer the sagging hearts of our parents and grandmother. We decided to stage the Christmas story interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols.  For some unknown reason I took it upon myself to direct the production.  It all progressed quite nicely until we got to the Magi. We were singing “We Three Kings” and moving just as quickly as we could toward Bethlehem and the manger when girl cousin told us to stop that they did not go to manger. At that point, there arose a great family debate. You see, no one had ever told my 70-year-old grandmother the truth about the Magi and the Christ child and we had a whole lot of convincing to do. My uncle who to this day is an insufferable tease looked at me and said, “Director, you blew it.” At that point, the entire family erupted into laughter. The tensions were forgotten.  Grandpa was still gravely ill, but Jesus had given a hurting family the gift of laughter when they needed it.    Oh, he did recover and spent the winter recuperating at our home.  He lived until my first year of college.  God is gracious and good all the time.

                 It was early December again and my senior year of college. Mom, Grandma, and I were on our way to the dedication of a new church. All of a sudden, Grandma slumped over in her seat.  Her last words to us were “Go on where you’re going, I’ll be all right, “   Of course, Mom being a nurse noticed the signs of a stroke. We turned the car around and headed for the hospital. Providentially, Mom knew the attending physician. We were able to get Grandma settled, but she never fully regained consciousness to my knowledge. Christmas was again a subdued time as we each met separate family units ---trusting in the sovereign grace of our Father.    Grandma went to be with her Savior shortly after Christmas … all in His time.  Yes. God is good all the time.