Advent Love

(Advent Devotion 2005)

Galatians 5:22-23 The Message

We mothers sometimes hurry through the holidays forgetting what the season is really all about. We often lament that “other people” do not really understand the reason for the season. But what do us as Christian mothers DO to promote a heart for Christ in our children? We SAY we want our children to know the true meaning of Christmas, but our actions and often our words demonstrate a very different meaning. Let’s listen in on three conversations that could have happened on the very night of Christ’s birth. Do we see ourselves?

Standing in line for hotel reservations…
“Mama When can we go out and play with the other children?”
“Maaaammmmaaaa, I want to go out and see what the vendors have for sale”
“Mom, I want to see if I can find my friends”

“Hush children, evidently the couple ahead of us in line did not have the forethought to make reservations. They should have known Bethlehem would be busy and the hotels would be full. The family of David is a big family and we all had to come here for the census. You would think they would have planned ahead. Look how near she is to giving birth,”
Hamm! I wish they would hurry up! This baby needs her nap. I am so tired of tending to all of you. Where is your father? Over there around the camp fire with the other men “chewing the fat” I suppose. And they say we women like to talk!”


A few miles away. . .
“Where are those boys?” I told them to have those sheep back in the pasture near our home before dark! Teenage boys – you can’t live with them you can’t shoot them! Levi! Where are your sons? They act just like you and your brothers did at that age. This is all your fault. I told all of you I was fixing a special supper to celebrate the good fortune Yahweh has given us with such a fine heard of sheep. How can we celebrate with no sheep and no family? I work my fingers to the bone around here and not one appreciates it.! Is this how a family shows love to their family?”

A few months later . . .
“Son, You paid those wise men handsomely to return and tell you of this new king who is going to over throw your authority. Where are they? That’s what you get for trusting foreigners. I knew they looked shifty eyed! When are you going to listen to your mother?”


Mothers and Christmas – We work so hard to make things nice for our children. We plan special meals, we take special trips, we buy special gifts and all we really need to do is show love.
The same Love that came down to Bethlehem and found a room in a stable behind an inn because his parent’s did not make reservations; the same Love that distracted a bunch of teenage shepherds and led to away from home to see this tiny bundle of Love; this same Love that steered wise men off their course and caused them to bring gifts to an unlikely King.

Love came down and CHRISTmas can fill our soul with love. May this Advent be a time that you and your family focus on the real love of God and not just the weak human gestures we call love.

Dear Lord, I am so blessed to be a mother. Help me in my weakness to express to my children your love; a love that they will feel deeply in their souls and a love that they can pass on to others. Help me to not get caught up in the hurriedness of the holidays that I forget to hug my children and encase them in arms that represent the very arms of Your Son that stretched out on a cross to demonstrate the Love you have for us.

Grief

This story was first published on the Thomson FBC website in 2001. I hope it continues to help those that grieve the loss of a love.

Many people ask me how can I be so joyful in the face of difficulties. My name is Tinye. I am a member of First Baptist Church in Thomson. I have two sons, a wonderful family, plenty of Christian friends. If you do not know me, you do not see the difficulties, because it is part of God's plan for me to rise above the challenges of life to glorify Him. It is my desire to do just that.

I have the challenges of being a single mother. My late husband Ron was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis several years ago, but his first symptoms began just months after we were married. For the first years we were able to make adjustments to our lifestyle to accommodate his gradual increase in disabilities. During this time we made some decisions about our lives as Christians, parents, and as husband and wife that have helped me in the past few years. For a while I was able to take care of Ron at home, but eventually his needs became so great, that something else had to be done. Ron and I had
discussed what we would do when the time came that he could not longer stay at home. While his mind was still clear, he had made provisions for me to take over the family finances, a job that I did not like to do. He had seen to it that there was disability insurance to help with our expenses and had provided a
notebook for me with all the vital information I would need in case he could no longer take care of us. We also saw our lawyer and made legal decisions that needed to be made for just such a time. We did not try to hide the seriousness of Ron’s illness from the boys. We needed to work as a family and they needed to know how they could help.

At the onset of his disease, we all had questions about why this would happen to us. Ron and I were able to grow in our faith as we realized we could know the Who and not necessarily know the Why. As parents we were able to guide the boys into their relationship with God. We prayed together a lot and discussed scripture we found that strengthened each of us. Ron and I came to the realization that his being healed may not be part of God's plan for our lives. We did however, feel that God had a plan in our lives and our family. We have never felt like we have been forsaken. One promise that Ron and I claimed through out his illness is found in Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Ron and I could see the good in his illness. We used this terrible circumstance as a witness to others of the joy and strength that comes only from God. Ron lost his fight with Multiple Sclerosis on February 2, 2000.

We have been blessed with so much because of Ron's illness. We have a wonderful supportive group of Christian friends who have done everything from clean up our yards to stage a womanless wedding to help us with medical expenses. Our families have been there to take up the slack in car-pooling the boys to school and helping me with the care and discipline needed by two boys. Their friends have been there to support them and they have learned to not feel sorry for what they do not have, but to thank God for what they do have.

I have grown in my faith at the times when I really would like to have Ron here to talk over a problem and instead I have to rely on God to help me with a decision only I can make. Instead of sitting back and feeling sorry for myself, I have learned to share my feelings with others and to delve into God's word and
other Christian literature.

I would encourage all couples to appreciate your spouse more. Don't take each other for granted. Prepare for the future financially and legally. Include your children in the circumstances of your family life and show them how they can help. Most of all don't take your ministry as a family for granted. God can use you where you are and will use you if you are available to let any circumstance be used for His
glory; and a "peace that goes beyond human understanding" will be with you, too.

"Jingle Bells - I'll Fly Away"

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Almost every time the boys and I went to visit Ron when he was in the nursing home we were greeted by Keith. Keith must have been around 40 years old, but had the mind of a young child. He did not speak, but he did make noises that let you know he was glad to see you. He especially liked Matthew and Andrew because they were “close to his age” and Mama was one of his favorites because she resembled his sister.

To some people Keith would have been pitied. His circumstances were not what most people would measure as happy. He of course did not meet the definition of successful by business standards, he had little family and they were not able to come visit him very often. He was not a GQ dresser because he was overweight and mostly wore sweat suits. Perhaps he did not have the skills to manipulate buttons or zippers. His mental ability did not afford him the ability to read and his attention span did not allow him to spend a lot of time watching television. Yes, Keith was referred to by many people as a “poor, poor soul”. Why would God allow such a person to exist? What could be the reason? These were just a few of the questions I had to answer for young boys who were dealing with their other questions about their father’s health and I must admit questions I too had at first.

Then God revealed to all of us the joy in Keith’s soul. He could sing! His two favorite songs were Jingle Bells and I’ll Fly Away. It became our pleasure to visit and be greeted by Keith. The boys would start him singing as soon as they saw him. Keith would smile and clap his hands and sing with them. He loved to sing. We loved to watch him. He made us smile as he sang. Our visits to a nursing home were not so sad because they started with Keith’s warm smile, the twinkle in his eye when he saw us and the pleasure he had in singing his version of Jingle Bells – I’ll Fly Away. Yes, God made Keith for a reason. Keith had a joyful spirit, a spirit that gave other’s joy.

When you think about it, the blending of the two songs that Keith sang were his way to sharing the Gospel. Jingle Bells told of Christmas and reminded us of Christ’s birth and I’ll Fly Away reminds us that there is a reward to those who accept this Christ as their savior. What was God’s purpose for Keith’s life? It is the same as mine to reflect HIM in my life.

Dear Lord,
Give me the willingness of Keith to share you to others in my own unique way. To share the joy of your presence in my life and to reflect the reason we celebrate advent and Christmas.