Fragile!

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

“Please be careful with that one, it’s very fragile” I admonished my grandson as he helped putting Christmas decorations away. I stopped in my tracks. The box he held was the box filled with my Nativity set. The one we put up each year to remember and honor Jesus’ birth. It was the one my mother-in-law passed on to us when she actually went to see Jesus in person, over 20 years ago!

It gave me a check in my spirit. Two weeks ago we had our Christmas celebration. Boxes, bows, bags, tags, chocolate, food and gifts made the eleven of us ‘merry and bright.’ Still, it was what we did after all the gifts were exchanged, the story from Luke was read, and we ate our fill, cleaned up and gave a gift to someone else! We helped make someone else merry! We have friends in our old neighborhood that are in their 80’s. They were out of their home for the first time since covid stopped us all from doing our usual visiting. We have gone to visit with them, and pray for them, for years. I asked the kids and grand-kids, and my 85 year old Mom, to get into the vans and go visit them! Not a visit the way we always did, but, outside on their sidewalk for a ‘sidewalk waving’. They loved it. Even though we could not sit and enjoy a cookie and some cider with them, they were able to see us, see how big each grandchild got, and inquire of each of them how they were doing. We sang a round of ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’, said our good-buys, till later next year when we will visit face to face!

She called me that night, then the next morning to thank me for the visit. She told everyone who called her about her visit from the family. We did not need a gift, though we gave her one, we did not need money, we just needed the time to go greet someone important to us that does not have the ‘get up and go’ any longer.

It occured to me that someday I may be in that same spot they are, and I would enjoy a visit from a future generation to give me hope for our future!

We are in a fragile time right now. Between covid still lurking, and a speaker of the house still unnamed. They are also in a fragile time of their lives, the winter season of life. It is also a fragile time in our relationship with Christ. Much focus has been on Jesus the past couple of months as we planned and prepared. Much work went into the presentation. Though it’s all over and everything is cleaned up, and put away until next year, we need to keep the light of Jesus perpetually lit in our hearts. The treasure carried is Jesus, the jar of clay, is us! Remember, it’s a fragile thing, so guard it carefully!