12.24-The sadness of joy of Christmas. Immanuel helps us with both.

12.24-

This morning I made our main Christmas food run to the three stores near our home here in North Richland Hills, Sprouts, Walmart and Kroger.   

I stopped to talk to the checker and the front man, Ray.  We all spoke about how important it is to live each day fully.  I could tell Ray was a bit sad.  He said last year I lost my brother.  I had earlier lost my son.  I told him that was not a club I wanted to join, but that these loses probably help him to live each day in a joyous upbeat way as he always seems to do.  He looked at me with that look that he was trying to keep his joy, but it was not easy.  He handed me a little piece of Chocolate candy as I stuck out my hand to shake hands with him and said, "Merry Christmas."  He said nothing, but I could tell his heart was heavy.

Reminded me of the three stores dad worked for in the grocery business, Piggly Wiggly, Woody’s and Jesse Smith.

I remembered the few days before Christmas in my mom and dad’s home.  They worked for many years both at Collins Piggly Wiggly and Jesse Smith AG store in Honey Grove, Texas.  They would work long hours as Thanksgiving or Christmas approached. 

When we drove in from Denver I would go straight to the dining room to check out the kind of sweets mom and created.  Fudge, divinity, dateloaf candy.  Chex mix with peanuts, and pecans and other things baked into it. 

Dad got the best shot and good meats of all kinds.  Then they would bring in a nice ham and turkey and fix both.  Our house would get completely smelled up as that turkey cooked in the oven all night.

In the morning I can still see dad slicing the turkey and cutting up the fruit for the fruit salad on Christmas morning.   Mom was putting the dressing together and as we all absorbed those marvelous smells. 

It was about a family gathering that was a bit of a slice of heaven to celebrate.  Because of the love of God to send Jesus to be born into this world and laid in that manger we had the blessing of family life together.  Indeed, His name was Immanuel, God with us.

Matthew 1.

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Larry Wishard