The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. – Luke 2:20
Christmastime is full of traditions. Since Christmas Eve is a busy work day for me as an employee of St. Luke’s, my December 24th traditions look different than they used to. For the past few years, after the last service, I kick off my uncomfortable shoes (usually before I’ve even made it to the parking lot), pick up Chinese food for dinner, and head home to meet my husband, Taylor. There, we watch our favorite Christmas movie and exchange the gifts that we’ve picked out for each other. Though I’m usually exhausted by this point, my simple Christmas Eve night with just me and Tay has become one of my most treasured traditions each year.
However, as a child, my Christmas Eves consisted of a different set of traditions. For as many years as I can remember growing up, December 24th was always spent with my dad’s side of the family in Cheyenne, a small town in western Oklahoma. After we shared chicken ‘n’ dumplings for dinner, we’d load up and head to the even tinier town of Strong City for a special Christmas program at the community center. My mind was blown each year when Santa arrived and presented each child with a gift, and somehow always got me just what I had been asking and hoping for. I later pieced together that Santa must have been assisted by some very sneaky helpers! After the kids sang carols my grandmother, Granny Ruth, would read the story of the birth of Jesus from the gospel of Luke. Her words became so familiar to me after hearing her read the story year after year, that now anytime I read this passage of scripture, I can still hear her voice reading it aloud to all of the children gathered at her feet.
As the years have gone by, many of my grandmother’s friends who used to attend the program in Strong City with us have passed away, including my grandfather. Granny Ruth has fought hard to remain independent, but it is simply too taxing for her to be able to attend this special Christmas program anymore. Though it can make me sad to realize that our December 24th doesn’t look the same as it used to.
I find rest in the verse above – that “just as they had been told,” we also have been told that because of Jesus, our story doesn’t end with life on earth. God is with us, and He makes all things possible.
Morgan Jones, Director of Welcoming Ministry
