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.
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