THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER
Wrote this years ago, but never posted. Today is the day:
This year on Christmas Day, my husband’s mother told us it was her best Christmas ever.
This could be a silly statement, seeing as how she is in a nursing home, in a wheelchair, and hardly knows who-is-who or what-is-what. Because she had a nap before we arrived, she wasn’t even sure it was still Christmas when we visited.
And yet, it gave us all pause. My sister-in-law was greatly moved because she said it should really humble us, we who have so much. Mom has so little and yet is so grateful for what she does have. How poor of us to dare complain about ANYTHING after that!
I myself am very moved by the grace of God toward Mom. How unfailingly kind He has been toward her in her older days, causing her not to realize the passage of time while sitting alone or not to be aware of pain and loneliness. If she does have any emotional hurt (which I don’t think is often), she finds solace through holding the Bible in her hand and staring at the page.
His grace in this situation extends to us too. We do not have to agonize so much because we can’t spend every minute with her. How comforting it is to see her passing into His presence this way.
Romans 15:13~~ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Last year we spent Christmas day sitting in my Mom's nursing home room--all four of us kids, and Dad. We ate cold Christmas dinner, kindly provided by my SIL's parents, sang to Mom, and shared stories. If Mom was conscious of our presence, and I believe she was, I know she would be thinking it was a wonderful Christmas. She could no longer speak, or eat, or do anything except lie in that bed, but she had all her family with her, and that was one of her absolute favourite things. She slipped quietly away home to her Saviour the morning of New Year's Eve.
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