Thank goodness there is only one more month in this this horrid year of 2020. Chinese people have labeled this the year of the rat and I believe most Americans would agree. Fear, panic, stress all seem to go right along with words like pandemic, elections, racial tension, and toilet paper.
For me, it began on a positive note as my husband, Joe, planned a retirement for early March. We looked forward to a nice visit to see his brother in Arizona with a trip to the Grand Canyon… on my Bucket list for years. We sensed the severity of the situation when we returned to a near quiet Atlanta airport only 2 days before the national shutdown. Scary to say the least.
Having lived through the drop in our 401K and the shortage of hand sanitizer, we became accustomed to the social distance stance and those dreadful masks. We added Zoom to our list of technology proficiencies and we became familiar with worship on Facetime live. I even joined several internet Bible studies that included women from around the United State, an experience I would not have encountered had we not been a country in crisis. For that I am grateful. Grateful that God would provide an outlet during a time when my only trip outside was to have groceries loaded in the back of my car by an essential worker at a food store.
Yes, through all the negative events of 2020, there have been an abundance of positive actions as well. God is still in control.
Last night I had the privilege of witnessing one of those encouraging events in person. Santa paid a visit to my house with four little kiddos waiting anxiously for his arrival.
What makes his visit so remarkable lies in the past. You see, we have not always been a family that would celebrate together. Like most families, we have had our differences. There have been hurts, accusation, even divorces, but for one night, just a few hours, we were able to set aside our differences and let four little children enjoy the magic of Christmas together, with no arguing, no harsh words, no accusations. Just the love of Christmas.
I have been asking God to give me wisdom and tell me how to love others, even those who don’t always agree with my ideas. Last night He taught me a great lesson. Last night God showed up at my door and this time he was wearing a Santa suit.
No comments:
Post a Comment