December Miracles©

December Miracles©        
A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There are the memories of Christmas Past,
Some from childhood that forever last.
A Legacy.
Eternally.
Memories are for miracles steadfast.

Memories of Christmas 2020

I did not enjoy shopping at all that year. The traditional shopping day with my three grandsons didn’t happen. I put money aside all year to help the three of them buy gifts for their parents and then for each other. Then we go out to eat at a nice restaurant. We save the wrapping for another day. I couldn’t deal with the mask on, mask off, nor did I want to put my grandsons through that. I ventured out alone and after three hours of breathing into a mask, I was feeling ill. The day was cut short and void of much joy. Not a good memory. The miracle….Jesus never loses joy. A steadfast miracle.
Making memories is part of living. Choosing to forget some and cherish others is just that, a choice. Some memories are a process of forgiveness. I have had many Christmases that were painful, lonely and a struggle to feel joy. Others were incredibly overpowered with the Presence of the One we are celebrating. We remember things by emotions. Emotions are powerful. They trigger the subconscious to record the event. Emotions do not always remember all the details. We l know we l prone to forget things. But what if we took the time to write things down?
Journaling is a wonderful way to remember details. This current world is full of distractions and non-stop sensory input. We can easily miss how a small detail, an unfamiliar face, a passing smile, or a kind act can completely change how the day went. What if Moses never wrote what God told him? We wouldn’t know how to receive God’s blessings and stay clear of curses. God gave all the details for building the Tent of Meeting and Solomon’s Temple. What if the Miracle of Mary becoming pregnant was never recorded? Or the story of Jesus’ life and death?
Without the story of Jesus’ birth, we would not have Christmas. Even though society has secularized this event the story of Mary and Joseph and our Savior’s birth lives on. A steadfast miracle.
When I was young it felt like the birth of Jesus at Christmas was just a tradition. Just a story, even though I knew it was true. We brought out the wooden stable with Mary and Joseph, the Wisemen, and the animals all glued in place. Jesus was safely hidden until Christmas morning when He miraculously appeared. And then the presents. Lots of them. No more mention of Jesus. But …the hidden steadfast miracle…my mother and the church repeated that same story year after year. There was never any deep emotion in the story. I didn’t doubt its truth but I also didn’t understand its power. Not until the Christmas of 1980. That year in November I went back to church for real. My life was spiraling into depression. I needed God. I was 22 years old.
Stepping into the church as a lonely married young woman afraid the wrath of God was about to strike me dead for thinking I even had any right to be there after being away so long is one of those emotional memories I will never forget. It was early November, the 9th to be exact. That Sunday I opened my heart and let Jesus in. Everything felt different. Thanksgiving felt more meaningful. By Christmas another miracle. I felt the power of the birth of Jesus, the hope of people living in that time, the awe of the shepherds in the field, the excitement of the wise men when they found the baby Jesus. It really was real!! The steadfast miracle of truth-filled me with overwhelming emotion and the loving Presence of Jesus was tangible. A miracle of eternal legacy.
The following Christmases meant more and more, understanding deeper that without the birth of Jesus, He wouldn’t die. Without His death, no forgiveness of sin. Without forgiveness, every sin would be remembered and counted against me. Eternal damnation would have been mine. Instead, my name is written in the Book of Life, recorded November 9th, 1980. Another steadfast miracle, I am forever forgiven.

Memories of Christmas 2021

An astonishing thing also happened. I started to bring a notebook to church every week. I have years of notetaking. The notetaking prompted me to write journals Journaling is a precious creative gift of enormous expression. Sometimes it is many words and sometimes few. I have been able to take these thoughts from notebooks to journals to published books. It is a written legacy to myself and one day to my children and grandchildren. A continued steadfast miracle of truth.
The details of your life matter much, Your thoughts and words are precious. Life moves so quickly. Having something written down to remember your life is just as important as a history book. A tangible paper book of your history. It isn’t like a digital file. Paper has a life! The Bible is a living breathing book of the history of love. Jesus is the Word, a living miracle, a steadfast remembrance of love, forgiveness, peace, hope, eternal life. The Bible is the written form of the Word. You are a word. Write your story. Write your story for God’s glory. It is your miracle memory of a steadfast legacy.

Pray this prayer with me.
Lord, how precious I am to You, You carefully crafted every part of me. Help me find ways to remember daily Your love and care for me. Help me write something every day of what I may have missed because of the busyness of life. Grant me the time to do this and as I do may I forever be awed at the way You detailed every moment of the day. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek
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