A Christmas in memory

The Daily Jot

Daily reporting and analysis of current events from a biblical and prophetic perspective.
Friday, December 24, 2010
A Christmas in memory

There
are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we
are coming upon a time of the year when we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit
arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I
want to tell you a little about the Christmas' that I had growing up on
our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and
cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And
Christmas, especially Christmas Eve,
was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad's birthday.
And my Dad was well loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot
going on Christmas Eve.

I remember one special Christmas Eve.
I must have been about four years old. The night was falling and the
wind and snow were whipping across the barnyard, as we often were
victims of the "lake effect" from Lake Erie
in the southern most tip of the snow belt. The barn was cold when we
turned on the lights and started climbing into the loft and throwing bales of hay
down, putting the hay in the mangers, grain in the feed boxes and water
in the buckets. Then the horses and cows were gathered in the barnyard,
one by one we let them through the door and they automatically went to
their stalls or stanchions. The barn warmed up and the animals contently
eating was a comforting sound.

We
had dinner and went to church. I remember my brother Chuck carried me
out of church that night. He was 14 years older than me and we were so
very close. He was asking me whether I thought Santa had made it to the
farm yet. And I was worried that it was so early on Christmas Eve that
he had not--for we celebrated our family Christmas on Christmas Eve with
my Dad's birthday. Then he looked up at the moon and said, "See
there...its Santa's sleigh and his reindeer. Don't you see them?" He was
so convincing that I looked and looked, but couldn't find them. But
Chuck insisted that he had seen Santa Clause. We got home and sure enough there were wonderful presents under the tree.

We
had a great family time that year, opening presents and enjoying one
another. And afterwards, neighbors and friends started dropping by to
wish my Dad happy birthday. Their kids and me were playing with my new
farm set, and there was a lot of laughter and fun. Chuck was killed by a
drunk driver a few years later. Dad passed in 1989. But the spirit of
those two wonderful men lives on here and especially in heaven, and I am
reminded of them every Christmas Eve--in the best of times or worst of
times, they were the best of men. We have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is
with us in all times. And no matter the condition of the world, we can
draw comfort in His promise in Matthew 28:20, "I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world." God Bless you and Merry Christmas.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry