Come closer, God!
Please hurry and help.
Embarrass and destroy
all who want me dead;
disgrace and confuse
all who want to hurt me.
I will never give up hope.
All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
to save your people.
But you have done much more
than I could possibly know.
I will praise you, Lord God,
for your mighty deeds
and your power to save.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a child, a family who attended our church had three daughters. The youngest was afflicted with cerebral palsy. In the late 1950s and the 1960s, many children who had a “birth defect” were either kept at home behind closed doors… or placed in an institution where a professional staff cared for them. But not Mary. Her parents and sisters treated her as normally as any other person. She did attend a school in a nearby community for a while, but her mother brought her home on weekends. Eventually, she had live-in care to help the family meet her needs… and she was a frequent attendee at church and community events.
Mary was confined to a wheelchair. Her atrophied arms and legs did not work right. She communicated with her eyes and facial gestures. As a child, I often heard adults criticizing this family for treating Mary so normally. They scoffed at the notion that Mary could communicate. When the family claimed that Mary played a mean game of bridge, people secretly rolled their eyes and laughed… and I’m sure there were plenty who were bold enough to actually voice their opinions to this family.
Mary’s mother, Geraldine (whom I called MawMac), shared my birthday…and over the years, we exchanged birthday cake, cards and phone calls. I considered MawMac my mentor and hero until her dying day. For all of her 94 years, she fought through illnesses and injuries… criticisms, personal hardships and heartaches… so that she could care for Mary. When the day came that MawMac was too old to physically care for Mary at home - even with the assistance of other caregivers - she reluctantly agreed to allow Mary to move to a skilled-care facility in a community some 40 miles away. Until she had to give up driving because of her age and health (somewhere in her late 80s!), MawMac made the trip to visit Mary at least once a week. Her end-of-life goal was to live longer than Mary. She said, "The only person I want to outlive is Mary. I'm her mother, and I must be here to be sure she is always cared for."
MawMac was one of the Godliest women I ever knew. If the church doors were open… she was there. She gave great advice! Her faith and hope were an inspiration to many. Eventually, she moved to an Assisted Living facility and became very ill. One August day, her daughters visited Mary (who was just recovering from an illness of her own). They told Mary how sick MawMac was…how hard it was for her to move and breathe. And that night, Mary went to sleep… and woke up in heaven. Less than 24 hours later, MawMac followed her. These two ladies lived and breathed their hope in Jesus… they “walked” their faith in God to see them through anything and everything. They looked past criticisms and ridicule - and what was probably outright hatred and disgust from some… and saw the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. And this is where they placed their focus.
I wonder if you and I can say the same thing in our own lives? Surely there are times when we are snubbed… hurt… insulted… demeaned. Maybe you are ridiculed for your faith…or judged unfairly because you choose to conduct yourself in a particular way. If you are steadfast in your faith and your love for Jesus, there will always be those who groan and roll their eyes behind your back. I’ve noticed these are also some of the same people who are front and center to ask for help and prayers when the chips are down! The conclusion I have drawn is that consistent, enduring hope and faith in God rubs off on others… and pays dividends!
And so we come to Christmas Eve and narrow our focus to that night over 2000 years ago when God sent a baby to earth to live and breathe among us as human flesh. Let’s remind ourselves that He has done much more than we could possibly know. Jesus has given us hope where ours was lost… He quiets the offenses and attacks of those who judge and belittle us (if only behind our backs)… and He will never leave us or cease in His efforts on our behalf! This is truly GOOD NEWS… and God is surely worthy of our praise… and our unending hope!
One of MawMac’s daughters shared these thoughts with me, and I would like to pass them on to you…
“Something my mother used to do every Christmas Eve was take us outside before bedtime. She'd say, ‘Now, look up in the sky and just feel the night. You can tell Santa Claus is up there.’ She said this in her most dramatic voice and it really impressed us. She continued until we were grown. I did the same with my children. I also continued after they were grown up. I suspect that this Christmas Eve, I will be out there looking up at the sky, feeling the night and Santa. The faith and excitement of all those millions of children makes it real and palpable. Give it a whirl!”
While MawMac may very well have said that you can tell Santa Claus is up there… I’d be willing to bet she also reminded her children that GOD is up there, too. MawMac’s hope was in God, who makes everything possible. And so is mine! So tonight, go outside and look up in the sky and “feel the night.” Revel in God’s presence…receive His gift of Jesus… and embrace all of the hope that comes with it. I dare you to "give it a whirl"! Merry Christmas Eve… and may God bless and keep you!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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