Merry Christmas 2007

Two hours from now our Christmas Gifts will all be open. The kids will be highly stimulated on chocolate and we will begin to smell the aroma of the turkey cooking in the oven. One memory will be piled on top of another.

So far I have added up memories of about 55 of my years. I know there was years before that but they are somewhat fuzzy. Can you remember what you received as a gift when you were eight or earlier? At 63 it isn’t easy…oh boy.

For our family it is special with a beautiful Christmas tree, lots of food and gifts. But all of that is shared around a large table with great fun. We have all stopped the normal routine and take up a Christmas routine which will last for about 4 or 5 days at different homes.

I wish that we could have all of our friends over this time of year. I miss some of them deeply. There is Michelle in Malaysia, Irene in Vancouver, Kenny in China, Alfred in Kenya and Rod & Kaya in Estonia. All of them are my “kid’s” – all over the world. Our family has grown. Our lives have changed so much over these years. But Christmas is the same – memory on memory.

I have come to realize the wonderful blessings that we have and the richness of it all. God has truly opened the flood gates of all his blessing rooms and piled one on another.

This year our memories are flooded with a wonderful service on Christmas Eve at our church. The hymns, the reading, the candles and the gathering of friends made it all so special. There was a gentleness to it all and a presence of Peace.

This year two sets of parents have gathered with their kids to celebrate – The Lindsays and the Lincolns. We have been friends for many years and this year we are all together. We have laughed. We have played games and laughed some more.

This year was busy with visits as well. As a pastor with some of the congregation aging there are visits that are important now. Some are shut-ins with no one coming their way. Others that normally participate cannot because of health issues.

We have an element of sadness mixed with a deep sense of relief…one of our elderly ladies slipped away yesterday on Christmas Eve. Kay Mann slipped away quietly at 6:30 AM on the 24th. Her sister who is also near her age passed away in the Maritimes at almost the same time. Her son-in-law passed away in 1999 on the same day. For Kay’s daughter Rona it will be somewhat difficult with her many memories of her Christmas time over these years.

I can say that Christmas has some huge mood swings for our family and life. This week will be equivalent to perhaps three of other weeks….but we are blessed…so very blessed.

From our Family to you and yours – May you be blessed richly this week.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~