“Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.”—Romans 15:7 (NLT)
As I look forward to spending the next two days celebrating the birth of Christ and spending time with family, I am reminded that we will have one less person with us on Christmas Eve and at our Christmas brunch for my side of the family. My Christmas Blessings post from 2017 mentioned our family friend that we included in our holiday gatherings because we were family to him. He passed this September but we will celebrate his life by remembering him on Christmas Day.
Ronnie was known for his unique Christmas gifts. A few years ago, rather than get individual gifts, he decided to give one gift and we would all draw for it. The first year it was a giant wooden turtle. We still laugh about that one. This year, my sister-in-law and I found a large wooden duck that he had on display in his house and will put that in the gift exchange from him. I also have several tea cups that he had that I am planting succulents in to give to the girls in memory of him.
While Ronnie considered himself agnostic, he still joined us for our Christmas celebrations. Sometimes he even went to church with us. Seeds were being planted. When he became sick, I would meet him at doctor appointments and in the end spent time in the hospital and at hospice with him. God’s love was flowing out of me as I spent time with him.
Our family accepted Ronnie for who he was. We didn’t try and push our faith on him. Instead we lived it out by loving him and including him at our family functions. As Christians we are called to live out Romans 15:7 and accept others as Christ accepted us so that God can be given the glory for our actions. The only way to love others who aren’t always lovable is by loving and accepting them where they are. Whether that is a friend or family member sometimes we need to be able to give grace when things don’t play out quite as we had envisioned.
Can you think of someone, who like Ronnie, doesn’t have family to include them for the holidays? Is there someone you can invite to church with you on Christmas Eve that you know will be alone? If you have asked them before and they have said, “no,” ask them again. Maybe this time they will say, “yes,” but you won’t know unless you reach out to them.
Dear Lord,
I praise You for accepting me right where I am. Help me to give others the same grace that You give me every second of the day. Open my eyes to those in my corner of the world that I can invite to church or in my home that will be alone on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Thank You for the gift or Your precious Son, Jesus, whose birth we have the privilege to celebrate not just on December 25th but every day. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.
December Memory Verse
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”—Isaiah 43:18
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