Remembering the past, rejoicing in the future

There comes a time in life when you realise that things that you have done in the past, you may never do again. It may be climbing up Snowdon or running 5K or, as in our case, we may never host a family Christmas celebration. These events may come with a huge measure of sadness or maybe relief. In our case, regarding Christmas, it is with huge sadness. 

I would love to host a family Christmas one last time but for all sorts of reasons, it is not practical. Firstly, our family has grown exponentially, and we couldn’t physically sit us all down, even for a meal, let alone to sleep. Last time we had a big Christmas with the mainly older not younger generation there were 14 of us, some of whom were very small and we had a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Now the older generation has passed on and the younger generation have families of their own and we number 21. 

There is also the slight problem that half the family live in either Australia or USA so gathering altogether is quite tricky. Even if everyone was able to be in the same place at Christmas, for instance if we hired a big house, it would be wonderful but not the same. 

Am I just being a silly, selfish old lady? Yes, because I have so much to be thankful for. I have a huge family with 11 grandchildren. As a lady in a coffee queue reminded me, I have grandchildren. She would like to have one, but nothing is on the horizon. I have a home and family who are all talking to one another. I can put food on the table. We can give one another presents. We can speak face-to-face via today’s technology. We don’t have to wait weeks for letters to arrive or book a few minutes phone call on Christmas Day. 

The most important thing is to remember with fondness those days of long ago, but not to dwell there. To be thankful for the many, many blessings I have, the most important of which is Jesus. Where would be without him? I don’t know and I don’t want to know. 

My family is held in the arms of a loving Saviour, my destiny is assured not because of any good works that I might do but because of the one supreme good work – Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. Today I can live a life of destiny and purpose, and I know that eternal salvation is assured. 

For a moment, I feel the pang of sadness for days gone by but with great expectation and hope I life my eyes to a future made glorious by the one who loves me more than I will ever know. And I am thankful. 

God's sense of humour

As a grandparent, I love seeing and hearing stories of what our grandchildren have been up to, especially if they are funny. Two year old Samuel was watching his grandfather fill up the bird feeders in the garden and announced that ‘Grandpa was feeling the birds!’ It conjures up such an amusing picture.

I am convinced God loves watching his children and laughs over some of our exploits and things we say. I can imagine God’s pleasure as he sees families and friends at rest together enjoying one another’s company. I am sure he laughs along with us at some joke or amusing event. Our sense of humour comes from God. We are made in his image.

He doesn’t just enjoy church services or our ‘quiet times’ or even our good deeds and kind words but all of our life; a piece of work well done, the great golf or football shot, our joy at a bargain we find when shopping, the pleasure we get when taking a walk and marvelling at his creation. When we err or things go wrong God is there to comfort and guide. Every part of our life matters greatly to God.

However there can be a unfortunate tendency to view God as rather distant and even like the spiritual police, waiting to jump on misdemeanours so he can turn his displeasure on us.  This view is prevalent even in the Church. Nothing could be further from the truth. It doesn’t seem to matter how much the Bible speaks of God’s love. No matter how often we take communion and remember Jesus’ incredible sacrifice of love by dying on the cross. Somehow our own sense of shame and unworthiness overwhelms our fragile belief in God’s love.

We would rather believe If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God (Hebrews 10: 26 – 27) than See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3: 1. One is a warning to a few – the other a blessing to us all.

God loves us. God likes us. God enjoys us. God will never leave us but how much better it is to be a joyful child revelling in God’s love than a fearful child only concerned with confessing sin and grovelling in the hope of appeasing a vengeful God. As a parent and grandparent I want to enjoy my family. I don’t want them always talking about their sin and failings even though it’s right to confess them at the time. I want to share life with them, laugh with them, cry with them but be with them and love them. How much more does God want the same.