Is it almost Christmas already?

How can that be?

Having reached that beloved and somewhat respected age of grandparenthood, I have the privilege of looking back on many previous Christmases.

There were those years when we tried our best to make Christmas something special for our kids.

My parents did the same. I guess we were quite poor then, but we never knew it, because of the Christian love shown in our home year around.

I remember one Christmas very well. I had turned seven the previous October. During those days, many boys my age wore high top leather boots to school. There was a pocket on the side of the boot that contained a really cool knife. It probably had at least 27 blades and I wanted those boots and pocket knife for Christmas. That's all I wanted.

I do not remember if the doll buggy was on my twin sister's list, however, that is what she received. When we went out Christmas morning, there sat her baby buggy and she was delighted. Now she could push her dolls up and down our gravel road. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

When I looked for my gift, there it was! Just like I had asked. I was so happy to put on the boots and try out my pocket knife. Immediately behind our house was a large wooded area. The man next door used to keep fighting game roosters in those woods and every day went back to feed and water them. I didn't know a lot about that but I did know they were illegal and that is why he had them hidden. If I could just wait until summer, I would have a great time in the woods with my brand new pocket knife. Why maybe I could even catch a rabbit, or a frog, or a fighting game rooster. Who knows?

But, this was Christmas morning - the dead of winter. I didn't even want to go outside, much less back into the woods. I looked around. I just had to try out my pocket knife on something! Then I saw Nancy's brand new doll buggy. The top was up, all stretched tight, as if to protect the doll's eyes from the bright sunlight. I wondered what kind of sound the top would make if I punched a hole in it with my knife. At that point, I decided I would probably never know, unless I tried it.

Out came the pocket knife from its special place on the side of my brand new boot. I pulled open the biggest blade and walked past the buggy with the knife in my fist. It looked like an easy target and much closer than any rabbit in the woods. Zap! Hole #1. Hey - that not only sounded good, but felt good! I wondered how many other holes I could punch in that dumb doll buggy top if I really tried. I don't really remember what the final count was before I was discovered by my stinking sister. Then, I really caught it. And on Christmas morning, too!

My mother asked me why I had done such a horrible thing to my sister's doll buggy. My answer was simply that I wanted to see if my knife was sharp.

It was.

Sometimes our best hopes and dreams do not come to pass to our satisfaction. Or when things seemingly are going fine, our plans are shattered.

Or shredded.

Were you weary and discouraged when you awoke this morning? Perhaps life seems to have gone stale. Or maybe you have been experiencing some serious personal difficulties. Your burdens are heavy, and you have almost no energy for living.

And there is so much to accomplish between now and Christmas that you wonder if you'll ever make it.

Paul encourages us to encourage each other for there is a much brighter, happier day just ahead.

"Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 NKJV)

In the midst of difficult, stressful times, it is a great comfort for a Christian to meditate on God's great faithfulness. This day may have dark threatening clouds on the horizon, but God's children will not be consumed. With each new day the Lord provides new mercies.

We have a wonderful hope in Him, dear friends. Let's keep on keeping on, shall we?