Dear Beloved Ones in the Lord,
As we enter this Christmas Season, as children of the King, we understand that the true meaning of Christmas is not Santa Clause, trees, tinsel and gifts. It is a time to honor and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe there is no better place to do this than with those we love most - family!
Normally, the word “family” means our “blood relatives”, but it may also encompass others outside of that sphere with whom we feel a special kinship. For the missionary, that may also mean the people with whom God has called them to work. I know that we certainly have a special love and kinship with the precious people of Honduras and we truly count them as family! In fact, our plans had been to be at home in Honduras by Christmas. But our return to Honduras has been delayed for a couple of weeks.
I also had a desire to be with my mother and sisters since it would the first Christmas without Dad. (He passed away last year, 5 days after Christmas.) Although this, too, did not work out, it just seemed right to be there with my family. I know this first Christmas since Dad’s home going will be an especially difficult one.
I love that phrase, “...home going”! “Home” is another word that we associate with family! They even have a song about it that says, “I’ll be home for Christmas...”. It’s a great comfort to me to know that Dad will also be celebrating in his Heavenly Home with family, many of whom he has not seen for some time - his parents, several of his brothers and sisters, and other relatives. But the greatest thrill, I would think, is that he will be in the presence of the One who lay in that manger so long ago! He will hear the same Heavenly Hosts singing, “Glory to God in the highest”, just as they did so long ago! I would not have Dad miss that for anything!
But, this Christmas will be very special for Mike and I, too! God has worked things out for our son and his family to travel from Washington to Nevada where they will spend Christmas with our daughter and her family! Other than Dad’s funeral last year, we have not all been together for at least seven years! Understandably, Dad’s funeral was not a fun time, nor one that any of us remember much about. Anyway, Mike and I will have the rare blessing of being with all our children and grandchildren this Christmas! Only our Heavenly Father knows when we might all get to be together again! It is for this reason alone, that we have delayed going home for a couple of weeks. We will spend Christmas together with our family!
You know, when you think about it, that very first Christmas was about family, too! That was why God’s precious Son confined His infinite self to finite human form! Because He wanted His children to come “home” for Christmas... and stay for eternity! He, too, wanted to be surrounded by family! But, for that to happen, He had to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, be crucified on a cross as He bore our sins, and rise again - victorious over sin and the grave!
What wonderful, awesome, inconceivable, unfathomable love! But, only those who accept His wonderful gift of salvation are accepted into His family! That is the only reason He was born!
What wonderful, awesome, inconceivable, unfathomable love! But, only those who accept His wonderful gift of salvation are accepted into His family! That is the only reason He was born!
He was born...
...to die...
...so that we could become part of His family!
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” ~ John 1:12
Our prayer is that you will make the Child and Saviour of Christmas the center of, not only your celebration this year, but also the center of your life!
Have a Wonderful Christmas and a
Blessed New Year!
Mike and Debbie Lane
Missionaries to Honduras
