Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.
~Alfred Lord Tennyson
New Years Prayer
Dear Lord, In the new year, we pray that You will guide us each new day in paths that are pleasing to You. Lord, the new year gives us another chance to rededicate our lives to You, to study Your Word so that we know right from wrong and to act in accordance with Your commands. Thank You for the sense of direction, purpose and peace we get from aligning our lives with Your Holy will. We pray for the strength and the will to obey You each and every day of the new year, and when we fail, we pray for Your mercy, Your compassion, Your grace and Your love. Help us in the new year to be Your faithful servants. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
By Joanna Fuchs
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The LORD will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
So I got a bundt pan for Christmas – something I’ve wanted ever since I got married. Very exciting stuff, people! 🙂 And right now I’ve got this orange chocolate chunk bundt baking in the oven to take to our church Christmas party tonight. Mmm. 🙂 Of course I just realized that I have no more orange juice to make the glaze… so I get to improvise. 🙂 Woot woot!
I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting Christmas pictures from our place! (right??) So here you go! Enjoy a glimpse into our Christmas celebrations!
While Mommy did some last minute Christmas preparations, Gabriel played by himself! This never used to happen, but he’s starting to do it a little at a time. Love it. 🙂 He has recently discovered building block towers and knocking them down. So cute! A new Christmas tradition we have is for our Christmas Eve. The original idea was to have an hors d’oeurves dinner… but in reality, it ended up being Tapas From Around The World. What fun! We had Greek kabobs with tzatziki sauce; Asian potstickers with soy garlic sauce; Italian meatballs with tomato sauce; cheese (from Ireland and Norway) and crackers; sangria from Spain; Scotland-inspired sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes; England-inspired toasted cheese bread… and totally American Christmas cookies for dessert. 🙂 Yummmmm! After dinner, Gabriel needed a quick bath before getting ready for the Christmas Eve church service… and Grandmama gave him a faux-hawk! lol. He shared Christmas cookies with Grandpapa. His favorites are Great Grandma’s jelly thumbprints. On Christmas morning we celebrated as a family, complete with Christmas jammies! We ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast before opening stockings, lit the Advent candles (Gabriel loves them!), then read & sang & ate chocolate – and then opened the rest of our gifts. What a fun time for us! Gabriel really enjoyed his toys… but only moderately enjoyed the unwrapping part. 🙂 I don’t know what Steven was saying here… but I think it’s hilarious. 🙂 This was the toy Gabriel picked out for his Christmas gift – a super cute little tractor complete with animals and a redheaded farmer boy. 🙂 Steven also bought him a miniature acoustic guitar – but I forgot to take a picture. 🙂 I think I was using the video instead. This was what Gabriel did during the drive over the river and through the woods (which we *actually* do, you know!) on the way to Grandmama’s house! It was his last ride in his infant car seat. *tear* The plethora of goodness at the country house. 🙂 Look at all those stockings! I think Grandpapa may need to start building a bigger mantle. Sorry, Mama; I know you don’t like this picture… but I love how Gabriel was mooching off of Grandpapa’s brunch plate! 🙂 Next year let’s add hash browns. I love Christmas brunch! The younger Bennetts arrived shortly after brunch. The three kids wore their matching outfits! So much fun! But they didn’t love getting a picture taken… this was the *best* of the bunch, believe it or not. lol. Auntie M happily squished between the cutest niece and nephew ever. 🙂 Grandmama, enjoying her double portion. Gabriel was uncertain about his stocking… so I got to open most of the things inside. 🙂 Lovely little Hannah. Smiley Noah loved his new ball. Everyone wore red on Christmas – except Grandmama who wore green. 🙂 Gabriel on his new rocking/bouncing horse! Gabriel kicking back and trying out his brand new, awesome Britax carseat! (yes, it can still face backwards for a while – no worries!) Our traditional Christmas dinner tasted soooooo good. The best it ever has, I think. I ate WAY. TOO. MUCH. And it was delightful. 🙂 On Boxing Day we celebrated Christmas via webcam with Steven’s family. It was great to visit, open gifts, and let Gabriel warm up a bit – although he still wasn’t quite as interactive as I’d like. I think he thinks the webcam is a strange sort of video. Although I can tell he recognizes Grandma Deb, even when he doesn’t want to talk to the video himself. 🙂 The thing under blankets is a wonderful classic red wagon! Gabriel loves it!! And so do we. 🙂 I haven’t taken a picture of him with it yet, as he needs supervised while using it. I’ll get one sometime soon. 🙂 He also got fun puzzles, a latch board, this sorting board (which he loves – especially the circles and triangles), a super cute shirt… you know, all kinds of fun things every kid needs. 🙂 A friend of mine sent a box to us, and she included a gift for Gabriel that her husband made! Isn’t it a cute little duckie? Gabriel wants to do it himself, but just gets it tied up. Someday. 🙂 Here he is leaning in to kiss the duckie. Aaaaaaand here he is kissing his horsie. That’s what he’s into these days. Kissing things. No joke. His books (mostly pictures of cows – I’m serious!), his toys, blankie, Dilly – yup, the kid loves to kiss. And just because I’m so proud of myself for finally doing it… I added a couple things to the nursery today. I was given these adorable framed classic Pooh pictures over a year ago (a friend picked them up at a garage sale, and I had the perfect spot on the nursery wall for them), and just nailed them up today. And then this cute little G hook has been wanting to be a coat hook for months… and it finally got put up too. 🙂 So cute!
I love celebrating Advent. We don’t do much with it. Not yet. Someday when Gabriel is older (and has siblings on earth, we pray!), we will incorporate more tangible things into our Advent celebration and anticipation. Crafts and outings and activities and books. This year, Gabriel latched onto the chocolate routine with vigor. Next year I will add something. Thankfully I have eleven months to come up with it. 🙂 And something else for someday – celebrating the twelve days of Christmas, leading up to Epiphany. My husband smiles and shrugs (for now!) when I suggest it, but I think he’ll come around someday. I am eager to incorporate more and more of the traditional Church calendar into our lives in the future, especially with kids. Why should we live according to a secular calendar so minutely, and yet throw out the Church calendar?! It makes absolutely no sense. Unless you’re a pagan. So anyway.
Dear Pastor Toby Sumpter has inspired me this morning with some readings. You must read them too. You simply must. 🙂 I got chills when reading one and tears when reading the other. Read what he says about proclaiming Christmas to the old, the decrepit, the dying. And then read what he says about living, resting, and truly doing Christmas with his own family.
So Christmas Day has arrived!! We are about to get busy with stockings, cinnamon rolls, reading, singing, and gifts. Then we will pack up the car and head to the country for more food and gifts and fellowship. Although we have a Brown Christmas (as opposed to a White Christmas) this year, the weather is great for driving and maybe even a hike – maybe. 🙂
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours! The Lord be with you!
Luke 2:11-21
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Happy Third Christmas, Covenant! Happy First Christmas, Glory & Promise & Peace!
We know you are enjoying the heralds of the angels, and we look forward to rejoicing with you!
We miss you, but we praise God for His faithfulness. Merry Christmas, babies. Mommy & Daddy & Brother love you.
“First Christmas”
I hear that on the Earth below This is a special season With lights and songs and gifts and such, And Jesus is the reason!
In the place I would have lived Are strings of light that blink and shine, But you should see the light up here That glows from Jesus all the time!
In the place I would have lived Carols play, and special songs, But you should hear the music that The angels sing here all day long!
In the place I would have lived, Gifts are giv’n on Christmas Day, But you should feel the joy we feel Because God’s gift is here to stay!
In the place I would have lived, Tears have flowed because I’m gone. My family wishes I were there To see and hear and feel it all.
But in this place where I now live, It’s Christmas all day, all year long, And the sights and sounds I’d see with them Are pure, unblemished by all wrong.
So on this day that would have been My first Christmas on the Earth, Mama, Daddy, you need to know I’m celebrating Jesus’ birth!
When you sing songs to worship Him, I’m singing with the angels, too. I’m never closer than when we all Praise Him for our life anew.
I know that life began for me Sooner than you thought it would. I know your hearts are hurting now, And you would change things if you could.
But in this place, where you’ll come, too, We’ll be together, twenty-four seven. And there will be no more good-byes When we celebrate Christmas together – in heaven!
And so our little boy keeps growing up! 🙂 He turned 19 months yesterday. He loves to climb and run and go up & down the stairs over & over. He loves cheese, grapes, and Peanut Blossom cookies. He is trying so hard to talk, and gets a super cute quizzical look on his face when I can’t figure out what he’s trying to say. He is currently addicted to Big Bear (a huge stuffed bear Grandpapa gave him), a flashlight attached to a glow stick, and his Bumbo. He loves to sit on his potty, getting up and down by himself. And being outside very well may be the best activity ever. He is also discovering a love of coloring! This is what our 19 month old was up to this week….
Running around at Mommy & Tots. Showing Hannah his doggie. He loooooves staring at the tree, but he doesn’t even attempt to touch it or the gifts. Love it! Playing outside with Dilly, Mommy, and a bucket. And a swing! – and, oh, do you see the awesome snowboots I got him?! They are fan-super-tastic! And the only thing the roses have to do with Gabriel being 19 months, is that Grandpapa delivered them the day Gabriel officially hit 19 months – to congratulate us on good hormone levels. 🙂 That means Gabriel’s littlest sibling is doing well *so far*. 🙂 We keep praying!!
Happy Christmas Eve, my friends!! As we’d say when I was little, “only one more sleep until Christmas!” I hope your preparations are joyful and your festivities are blessed. The Lord be with you, and may He give you great joy!
From Heaven above to earth I come, To bear good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing.
To you, this night, is born a Child Of Mary, chosen mother mild; This tender Child of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all your earth.
’Tis Christ our God, who far on high Had heard your sad and bitter cry; Himself will your Salvation be, Himself from sin will make you free.
He brings those blessings long ago Prepared by God for all below; That in His heavenly kingdom blest You may with us forever rest.
These are the tokens ye shall mark, The swaddling clothes and manger dark; There shall ye find the young Child laid, By Whom the heavens and earth were made.
Now let us all, with gladsome cheer, Follow the shepherds, and draw near To see this wondrous Gift of God, Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.
Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes! What is it in yon manger lies? Who is this Child, so young and fair? The blessèd Christ Child lieth there!
Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest, Through Whom e’en wicked men are blest! Thou com’st to share our misery, What can we render, Lord, to Thee!
Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How hast Thou made Thee weak and small, To lie upon the coarse dry grass, The food of humble ox and ass.
Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare, She yet were far too poor to be A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
For velvets soft and silken stuff Thou hast but hay and straw so rough, Whereon Thou King, so rich and great, As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.
Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain The truth to us, poor fools and vain, That this world’s honor, wealth and might Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, Here in my poor heart’s inmost shrine, That I may evermore be Thine.
My heart for very joy doth leap, My lips no more can silence keep, I too must sing, with joyful tongue, That sweetest ancient cradle song.
Glory to God in highest Heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given, While angels sing, with pious mirth, A glad New Year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther
I don’t know if any of you do much blog-hopping – I do. Especially to blogs of mommies who have lost children – through miscarriage, stillbirth, or later deaths. It simultaneously makes my heart ache and encourages me. I am not alone. I am not weird. My heart is doing what it should do – no matter what anyone may tell me about getting over it, moving on, or being ‘happy’ regardless of circumstances.
So anyway…
Yesterday I went to one of my favorites. And she had a post about True Joy. This is coming from a young woman whose only child, a precious & beautiful 11 month old girl, died last February. She is expecting another baby any day. And you can try to imagine the mix of emotions they are enduring this Christmas season. I must admit that I don’t have to imagine very hard – I know all too well that line between grief & hope.
She refers to the One Year Book of Hope I have recommended, too. And I hope it will bless you to read what she says, and quotes from that book. I know it blessed me.
Regardless of our state of happiness this Christmas, even WE CAN BE JOYFUL. So without further ado, here is what Jess wrote (in case you’re afraid to click on links)….
“The truth is, it is possible to be filled with joy and still not be described as “happy.” Sometimes we’re just plain sad, not only down in our hearts, but down to our toes…
…The Bible says, “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22, NASB). As we savor the joy we have in Christ, we feel the healing power of that medicine. In fact, our joy should be as consistent as God is. It doesn’t have to be tied to the turbulent conditions of our feelings and moods. Our joy is grounded in God. It flows from him and back to him. Joy is not something we can generate with positive thinking or a bit of humor. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our inner lives. Joy shines forth from the life of the true believer, no matter how dark the circumstances. Joy in God deserves our constant, courageous pursuit.” -Nancy Guthrie
How reassuring is it to know that our joy isn’t tied to the sometimes turbulent conditions around us?
It isn’t tied to how sad I am feeling as we prepare to celebrate this first Christmas without Cora. It isn’t tied to how my heart hurts when I see all these happy Christmas cards and realize again that there will be no family pictures with Cora this year. It isn’t tied to how sad I am that Cora won’t be here to welcome her new brother or sister with us. It isn’t even tied to how much love we will feel when we meet Baby Mac any day now. True joy does not necessarily equal happiness.
My joy is grounded in Christ. And I can experience deep joy, even in the midst of sorrow, because my hope is in Christ. That doesn’t mean we won’t have any tears or sadness. But, I pray that this true joy is what others see shining from my life and family, even during this first Christmas without Cora.
Today we are reminded -by the two following Advent hymns- that although Christ has come, He will come again! Hallelujah and Amen!
Wake, awake, for night is flying; The watchmen on the heights are crying: Awake, Jerusalem, at last! Midnight hears the welcome voices And at the thrilling cry rejoices; Come forth, ye virgins, night is past; The Bridegroom comes, awake; Your lamps with gladness take; Alleluia! And for His marriage feast prepare For ye must go and meet Him there.
Zion hears the watchmen singing, And all her heart with joy is springing; She wakes, she rises from her gloom; For her Lord comes down all glorious, The strong in grace, in truth victorious. Her Star is risen, her Light is come. Ah come, Thou blessèd One, God’s own belovèd Son: Alleluia! We follow till the halls we see Where Thou hast bid us sup with Thee.
Now let all the heavens adore Thee, And saints and angels sing before Thee, With harp and cymbal’s clearest tone; Of one pearl each shining portal, Where we are with the choir immortal Of angels round Thy dazzling throne; Nor eye hath seen, nor ear hath yet attained to hear What there is ours, but we rejoice and sing to Thee Our hymn of joy eternally.
~ Philipp Nicolai (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme). The words may have been inspired by a 1523 poem by Nuremberg’s Meistersinger Lutheran poet Hans Sachs (1494-1576); they were first published in Nicolai’s Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens (Joyous Mirror of Eternal Life), 1599. Catherine Winkworth translated the lyrics from German to English in her Lyra Germanica, second series, 1858.
Behold the Bridegroom cometh in The middle of the night, And blest is he whose loins are girt, Whose lamp is burning bright; But woe to that dull servant, whom The Master shall surprise With lamp untrimmed, unburning and With slumber in his eyes.
Do thou, my soul, beware, beware, Lest thou in sleep sink down, Lest thou be given o’er to death, And lose the golden crown; But see that thou be sober, with A watchful eye, and thus Cry—‘Holy, holy, holy God, Have mercy upon us.’
That day, the day of fear, shall come; My soul, slack not thy toil, But light thy lamp, and feed it well, And make it bright with oil; Who knowest not how soon may sound The cry at eventide, ‘Behold the Bridegroom comes! Arise! Go forth to meet the bride.’
Beware, my soul; beware, beware, Lest thou in slumber lie, And like, the five, remain without, And knock, and vainly cry; But watch, and bear thy lamp undimmed, And Christ shall gird thee on His own bright wedding robe of light— The glory of the Son.
~Horlogion (Ιδοὺ ο Νύμφις έρχεται), circa 8th Century; translated from Greek to English by Gerard Moultrie in Lyra Messianica, 1864.
So we had Mommy & Tots today for the first time since September, I believe. It was so nice to have the ladies and tots in my home again! There were five moms and seven kids (plus two “baking”!) – Gabriel is the oldest. 🙂 We visited mostly, and let all the kids play with toys (and each other!), had a Christmas ornament exchange (gotta love those), and ate a brunch of orange slices, gingerbread with whipped cream, and my favorite egg casserole (Jac & Sam, I think you girls shared this with me years ago!). I thought I would share my recipes with you, as well as our words of encouragement for the mommies this week. 🙂
Holiday Gingerbread
1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 cup molasses 1 egg 2 1/3 cup sifted flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves pinch nutmeg 1 tsp ginger pinch salt Heat butter and molasses until melted and bubbly. Cool slightly. Beat in sour cream, sugar, and egg until smooth. In separate bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add molasses mixture to dry ingredients, blend until lump-free and smooth. Pour into a greased 9-inch pan (round or square or loaf). Bake at 325F until done – firm, yet bouncy to your finger. Test after 45 minutes. Do NOT overbake. Watch it closely, since you want it moist not dry. Serve with whipped cream!!
Campbell Ranch Egg Puff
1/2 cup butter 1 pound fresh mushrooms 1 pound shredded cheese – I use colby-jack 10 large eggs 1 pint cottage cheese 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup or so of cooked sausage, ham or bacon (I usually use about 5 strips of bacon) In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Wash and dice the mushrooms, and add to the butter. Saute for a couple minutes until completely coated with butter and getting a little soft. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and the mushrooms/butter. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
The Christmas build-up is famous for being prime stress-out time, particularly and especially for busy moms. So here is your annual gentle reminder to forsake all stressing out. Put all your worries, concerns, panics, and pressures (and lists of things you cannot possibly get done) in a big box, tie it with a ribbon, and put it away. Remember that all good things come with temptations, and Christmas is no exception. Being tempted is not the same thing as sin. Having temptations to get stressed out is normal, every day life. Giving way to the temptation is the problem.
Now a little stress is a good thing; without it we might not get very much done. Deadlines make us work harder, and there is no stopping December 25. But when stress turns into worry which then leads to self-pity, which causes grumbling, which makes for a sour attitude, it is no fun for anyone, neither you nor the people who are witnesses to your stressful life. In fact, they get tired of hearing about it: Ha! You think you have it bad. I have eighty-five people on my list. And I haven’t even started shopping yet! And of course this is not glorifying to God, which is what our lives are to be all about. Especially at the celebration of Christmas.
The worst case scenario is that you won’t get it done. The cards won’t get mailed on time. The cookies won’t get baked. The kids won’t have the hand-made gifts you had planned. But if the kids have a joyful mom over Christmas, that will have a far greater impact on them than the missing cookies or gifts.
Maybe the stress is because of finances this year. You just can’t do all those things you had hoped. One of my kids’ favorite memories of Christmas involves stockings full of bungie cords and rubber bands! They had so much fun with those things for months.
Sometimes the big disasters (the turkey burned, the gravy spilled, the gifts were all late, broken, and stolen) make the best stories later. We need to recognize them at the time and enjoy them as we live them out, believing God as we go.
So have a wonderful time of preparation. Don’t stint on the gifts and the candy and the celebration. But do it all as an overflow of JOY, not as a panic-stricken obligation! And treasure up the good stories as you go.
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
As you do your Christmas shopping, you are bound to run into the person who is feeling very guilty about buying presents. It’s so materialistic, they say. Well, yes, it is in one sense. After all, it is stuff. But if we are buying this stuff to bestow on our friends and family because God has bestowed so much of it on us that we just have to let it slosh over, then that is not materialism.
Thankfulness is a great antidote to false-guilt giving. Look at how much God throws away on us all the time. How much rain just runs down the gutter? How many sunsets are enjoyed by the whales because no one else is around to see them? What about the mountainsides covered in wildflowers that no human eye will behold? God just gives and gives and gives recklessly. He doesn’t want us to feel guilty about the sunset or the flowers. He wants us to overflow in thanksgiving. And though we cannot come near His capacity to give, we can imitate His extravagance by giving gifts and filling stockings and making fudge, all to the glory and praise of The Great Gift Giver Extraordinaire.
Once upon a time there was a very wise old man named Job. In his old age God gave to him a daughter whom he named Jemima, which means little dove. He loved his little girl and she loved her daddy.
One day Job decided to go on journey and asked Jemima if she would like to go along. “Oh, yes,” Jemima said. “I would love to go along.”
But Job said, “It will be a journey that takes us several days. So we will be staying each night wherever people will have us. So I can’t promise it will be nice. But God will take care of us. He always does what is right. He always meets the needs of those who trust him.”
Jemima smiled and said, “And even if things go bad, God makes them turn for good. Right, Daddy? Just like the little poem that you taught us:
When things don’t go the way they should God always makes them turn for good.”
“That’s right, Jemima,” Daddy said, “and there’s another little poem you need to learn. It goes like this:
When things go better than they should For people who are bad, Remember, if they stay that way, At last they will be sad.”
And so they started off on their journey and walked all day. At sundown they saw a little cottage and knocked on the door. A very poor man and his wife and baby lived there. Job asked if he and Jemima could spend the night there before they continued on their journey in the morning.
The poor man and his wife were very happy to let them stay. They gave Job and Jemima their own room and made them a simple supper. The special treat was fresh milk from their only cow. This was how the poor couple made a living. Their cow gave good milk and they sold it for enough to live on.
In the morning when Job and Jemima got up they heard crying. The cow had died during the night. The poor man’s wife was crying, “What will we do? What will we do?” she sobbed. The poor man was about to cut the cow into pieces and sell the meat before it spoiled. But Job said, “I think you should not cut the cow in pieces but bury him by your back wall under the olive tree. The meat may not be good to sell. Trust God, and he will take care of you.”
Then Job and Jemima went on their way. They walked all day again and were very tired when they came to the next town and noticed a fine home. They knocked on the door. A very wealthy man lived in this house and they hoped that they would not be an inconvenience to one so wealthy.
But the man was very gruff with them and said they could stay in the barn. He gave them water and bread for supper and let them eat it by themselves in the barn. Job was very thankful for the barn and the bread and water and said to the wealthy man, “Thank you very much for the bread and water and for letting us stay in your barn.”
In the morning Job noticed that one of the walls of the house was crumbling. So he went and bought bricks and mortar and repaired the hole in the wall for the wealthy man. Then Job and Jemima went on their way and came to their destination.
As they sat by the fire that night Jemima said, “Daddy, I don’t understand the ways of God. It doesn’t seem right that the poor man’s cow should die when he was so good to us, and that you should fix the rich man’s wall when he was so bad to us.”
“Well, Jemima,” Job said, “many things are not the way they seem. Perhaps this once I will tell you why. But after this you will have to trust God.”
“The poor man’s cow was very sick, but he didn’t know it. I could taste it in the milk. Soon he would have sold bad milk and the people would have gotten sick and died, and they would have stoned him. So I told him not to sell the meat, but to bury the cow under the olive tree by his back wall because the Lord showed me that, if he dug the grave there he would find a silver cup buried from long ago, and sell it for enough money to buy two good cows. And in the end things would be better for him and his wife and child.”
“When we spent the night at the rich man’s house, I saw the hole in the wall and I saw more than that. I saw that hidden in the wall from generations ago was a chest full of gold. If the rich man had repaired the wall himself, he would have found it and continued in his pride and cruelty. So I bought brick and closed the wall so that the man would never find this treasure.”
“Do you see, Jemima?”
“Yes, Daddy, I see.”
“So never forget, Jemima, many things are not what they seem. But if we trust in God,
When things don’t go the way they should God always makes them turn for good.”
But if we turn away from God and are unkind and selfish, then the other saying will come true:
When things go better than they should For people who are bad, Remember, if they stay that way, At last they will be sad.”
And that’s the way it was with Jesus. It seemed like he was unimportant because he was born in a small unimportant town, not a big city. He was born in a stable, not a palace. He was laid in a manger, not a fine bed. He was a carpenter not a famous statesman. He had a small group of friends, not a great army. And worst of all, he was killed like a common criminal on a cross.
But many things are not what they seem. He was the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He rose from the dead. He is alive today and rules over the world and King of kings and Lord of lords. And everyone who trusts in him will have all their sins forgiven, and will be able to say,
When things don’t go the way they should God always makes them turn for good.”
It’s only FOUR days until Christmas!! Time to start counting down….. 🙂
