Christmas

Merry Christmas!

It’s been a wild ride! I drove to Tennessee to spend Christmas with my daughters and their families. Younger daughter drove from Richmond, VA area. The forecast said 1-3 inches of snow and several of us were hoping for a white Christmas! We were thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice to gather around the lighted Christmas tree watching the snow fall?” And about midday it began to fall.  And fall! Three inches and still falling!

 We had planned to enjoy a nice Christmas Eve dinner-ham, mac & cheese, deviled eggs, potatoes, broccoli, etc.  Ham was in the oven with other preparations beginning. Then the power went out. Snow was continuing to fall until we had 5 inches! We weren’t cancelling dinner, but we had to alter the menu. No cooked veggies, no mac and cheese. We pulled out the cheeseball and crackers, raw veggies and dip, finished the deviled eggs, and pulled the ham out of the oven. We lit the oil lamp and candles and made a memory.

After dinner we played games and talked about remembering this Christmas-this strange year! When we thought about the year 2020, not much went according to plan. But we survived and only a few of us were touched by the virus. We are grateful to God for mercy!. 

The most uncomfortable part of the evening was having no heat. We layered our blankets and tucked the dogs in beside us and managed to sleep, in spite of the cold. I thought about those precious souls without roofs over their heads and knew I had more than many others in the world. Then I thought of how Mary and Joseph had to alter their plans for the birth of Jesus. Giving birth in a stable isn’t what any mother would choose.

Wishing you and yours a warm and wonderful Christmas and New Year!

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).