Merry Christmas

"Is that him?"

The man in the big coat, wrapped in multiple scarves, was barely visible to us in the upstairs window, but we knew him well. My sister and I strained our eyes through the blinding snowstorm for a better view of the street below us. Noses pressed to the glass, our breath kept fogging up our efforts. A single, dimly lit street light struggled to give us a better picture of what was happening. We wiped the fog off the window with our pajama sleeves. Grandma stood over us, praying for the safety of everyone out in the storm.

He was hunched over, shoveling ashes out of a bucket and onto the snow-covered street around all 4 tires of the stranded driver. It's not like Hillside Drive is a major thoroughfare. It isn't. But it did have this one tricky slope where, given the right amount of snowfall, it was impossible for his 'neighbors' cars to climb. This was not his first trek across the snow-drifted property to rescue a motorist. There were even times when multiple drivers would be adrift on the perilous section of road just outside his home.

My grandpa saved ashes from his fireplace and from burning his leaves in the autumn. He actually put them in a special bin for just this occasion. Winters in Indianapolis could be brutal. He knew he'd be needing them every season about this time. He said ashes gave better traction than salt and worked a lot faster.

It wasn't his street, of course, but these were his 'neighbors.' No, they didn't all live next door to him or even necessarily close-by. They were the neighbors Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Good
Samaritan. (See Luke 10)
And, yes. He could have been inside with us, warm and safe, watching this poor guy sliding all over the place, wheels spinning uselessly. Instead, he bundled up, got his shovel and bucket and went out to help. That was his way. In everything.

It was almost Christmas. Usually my siblings and I were at home driving my mother crazy, but this year was different. For some reason, we were all at grandma and grandpa's house, driving them crazy! Summers were normally the season we spent in Indy with our grandparents, so this change was really a treat. We built a sled run in their expansive yard, crafted snowmen, complete with hats, scarves and carrot noses. They didn't keep coal around, so we used clusters of raisins for eyes. Then we rang in the New Year banging on pots and pans.

But what was truly memorable was them. As usual, it's the people who make or break a situation. For as Proverbs reminds us, "It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife  (or a quarrelsome anybody!) in a lovely home!" Their home was far from quarrelsome. They were not perfect, but they were patient, and kind and quick to apologize. They forgave each other always, while keeping short accounts. And, each night I fell asleep listening to them reading the Scriptures to each other.
My heart overflows at the memory.

You see, my grandparents were joyful, joy-filled people, who loved Jesus. They loved me. They loved each other. They loved people, and people loved them back. They taught me the Scriptures,  prayed with me and over me. They lived the Bible. Jesus made a difference in their lives and they honored Him in their home. It was a blessing and a privilege to be with them that Christmas break, just as it was each summer.
Knowing God made all the difference in their lives. They are with Him now. I think of them everyday, looking forward to the time we will be reunited forever.
I'm smiling at the thought.

Merry Christmas my friends. xx
May God Bless You with the Gift of Knowing Him

"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17