~ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ~ Lamentations 3:25,26 (NJKV)
Clothes, toys, and other had-to-have-for-Christmas items were discarded years ago. What remains of Christmas past are memories. Memories seldom include material things. That’s just stuff. Memories evolve around moments of importance, kindnesses shown, hurt feelings, and lessons learned. One of the greatest gifts we can give to a loved one is a fond memory. Each moment spent with someone is a time of preparation for a memory stored in our hearts.
Without
realizing it, my father prepared memories that became our most valued Christmas
treasures. Every Christmas, he sat on the big stuffed chair. My mother sat on
the arm of the chair with her arm draped around his shoulders. My sisters, my
brother, and I sat at his feet as he read the story of the true Christmas from
the Bible. After he finished, he prayed. Tears dripped off his chin and his
voice cracked when he asked the Lord to help him become a better husband and
father. He asked God to bless my mother and us. At the time, our understanding
was that of children. We thought it torturous to wait so long to begin opening
our presents.
Now that we are adults and have families of our own, we understand that our father was preparing our hearts to receive the gift of God’s love that he read about. In most of our homes and in the homes of most of our married children the traditional Bible reading continues before the other gifts are distributed.
When
we expect something to happen, we begin to prepare for the event. My father
expected us to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. By reading the Bible
Christmas morning and praying, he began to prepare our hearts to receive the
gift of salvation. Similarly, each day we prepare for the expected return of the
Lord. As we wait upon the Lord, we work looking forward to that day.
For
thousands of years the Jews waited for the Messiah. Their sacrifices and worship
were means of preparation to ready the world for His appearing. Some people got
caught up in the traditions of the time and missed the event. However, others
continued steadfast and recognized the truth. Luke chapter 2 mentions a man
named Simeon who waited for the Messiah. When he saw the infant Jesus, he said, “Sovereign
Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes
have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a
light for the revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel”
(verses 29-32 NIV). Because
he expected to see the Lord, Simeon prepared for the day and when it arrived,
his joy burst into praise enabling Simeon to prophesy about Jesus’ life and
death.
Luke
also tells us about Anna, an elderly prophetess who lived at the temple and
worshipped night and day. She expected the Messiah and when Jesus arrived at the
temple, Anna was prepared to recognize Him. Verse 38 says that she gave thanks
and talked about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of
Jerusalem.
Today
is our time of preparation. Some will prepare for Christmas. While others with
prepare for Christ.