I would like to share a little of what
Christmas was like for me when I was growing up.
I
attended a K-12 school located at the corner of an intersection,
surrounded by pasture land, and a big mountainous area. Two lane
roads that would eventually lead you into the communities of Dustin,
and Weleetka, Oklahoma.
As a child around this time, and
as an elementary student, we would get to be a part of the high
school choir by reenacting the birth of the Lord Jesus, as it was
narrated out of the scriptures. In doing so, the high school choir
would gather around the piano and sing songs like; O Holy Night,
Oh Come All Ye Faithful, What Child is This, and many more that
contained the words out of the scriptures, and spoke of Jesus being
the King of kings. It was such a time I looked forward to. I had no
revelation of the gospel; his death, burial, and resurrecection; and
that, that, is the power of God for my salvation. I had no revelation
of the importance of calling upon that name of Jesus; but I knew I
loved to hear those songs, I thought they were beautiful, and looked
forward to the day I would be singing them.
My granddad,
who was also the superintendent, would gather up the high school/Sr.
Boys, load them up and they would head out to a man by the name of
Mr. Chastain to get that “perfect” tree. They would often come
back with a 10 - 12 ft. tall Christmas tree, decorate it, and it
would stand in the auditorium. I was surprised to learn later they
were only 10 to 12 feet tall, it always seemed to me as if those
trees went on forever to the ceiling.
Around the
tree would often be hundreds, close to a thousand bags, filled with apples, oranges, and
various nuts to be given out to families of the community whose
children attended; and to those that were in peoples' hearts to make
sure they got a bag or bags as well. I can remember if someone
did not attend the program that night, my grandpa would gather their
bags for the family and personally deliver them around the
area.
To help buy of the goodies; the
previous month, many of the ladies in the area would bake cakes and
pies. My dad would come to the school and auctioneer them off,
it was such a grand time.
It was a time when you would see many
of the people in the community attend and fill the seats with the
ranchers, the farmers, the people who ran their small businessness,
and so many more. You could look around and see nothing but a people
who knew hard work, and what working for something was.
In
return, as a high school student in our Home Economics
class, we would spend a couple days baking all sorts of goodies,
wrapped up, and prepared to send back to the businesses of the
town.
Acts 17:26 speaks that God has determined the
times and bounds of our habitation.
I thank God for those days. Those are things you will seldom find today. I thank God to have grown up in probably what was left of a much simpler time.
And, I thank God, that I have come to
know this Lord Jesus; not just because it is Christmas, but
because I have had this gospel laid in my heart. I have seen the
power of God work in my life through believing on Jesus raised from
the dead! It is real, it is powerful, and....it is the one thing I
have found in all of my life to be true.
I have come to see and
believe that each day we have the opportunity to take up the gospel,
and follow Jesus. That through believing his death, burial, and
resurrection; we are born again, to walk with him, Jesus; and, because
of that, we have access to God, to His mighty power, just like Jesus
did, and it too will work in our lives.
He is available to anyone who will simply believe.
Romans 10:9 states that if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
You, will be, born again.
God bless you!
And Merry Christmas!
Misty
