Christmas Pondering

Christmas Eve. I sit in the padded pew with my Dad next to me. Gilles is in the balcony and shoots a little smile and wave as he buckles down and attends to the sound system for this, the candlelight service. Before the lights dim I look around and see Kathy and Larry. They lost their beloved son in a car accident in September. I see Theresa and Dirk. Their sweet son went to be with Jesus at the tender age of 17. Behind me Jane sits. She sees my short chemo hairdo and touches my shoulder. Her dear hubby died on my mother's birthday. December 15th. Liver cancer; inoperable; terminal. We hug and share cancer stories.

Dad needs to peel off his jacket. He is warm. He gets clammy. Last week when that happened I rushed him to hospital. His clamminess had progressed to dizziness and nausea with a bad headache last week. I thought a stroke was imminent. I didn't want that to happen tonight. Not at church. Not on Christmas Eve. It doesn't. Dad settles down and he feels 'okay.' He is in a hurry to get to the car, though.

Why does God allow bad things to happen? It's an age old question and some have even tossed the notion of God aside because of this quandry.

But the answer lies in the manger as we consider the events of Christmas. Like Pastor Kramer said this evening, Jesus came as a Saviour. His eventuality on this earth included death upon a cross for our sake. For our sin. His swaddling cloths became blood drenched rags as He bore it all for us. Our sin-ravaged world bears the consequences of Adam.

As I celebrate this Christmas Eve, I am happy and joy-filled. Jesus is real. Jesus is the reason. Jesus loves me this I know. He also loves my Dad. Teresa and Dirk. Larry and Kathy. Jane. And He loves you too. Merry, Blessed Christmas.

This Christmas represents only the opening act to something more marvellous than we can imagine. Trust the Saviour who lay in the manger and stay tuned to life for the rest of the story.