My Dearest Treasures,
In two days another Christmas day will be here. A few hours later, it will pass into history. We try so very hard to capture the warmth, glow and spirit of Christmas and make it last throughout the year. Invariably, the things we hope to hold on to quickly slip away as our old friend “reality” once again asserts itself. I’ve witnessed fifty-nine Christmas come and go, and my view of the day has changed dramatically over the years.
Christmas means many things to different people. I want to share a few thoughts of what Christmas has come to mean to me... not just the day of December 25th, but what it means all year long. It has taken many years of my life to get here, but I made it and I’m glad of it.
The Christmas season reinforces for me the most important things in my life. My passion is to love God more today than yesterday and to love the people of God. In a nutshell, I want my four daughters, my two grandsons and my baby granddaughter to be life long treasured friends and for them to know and love God as I do. That's all I really want as a father and grandfather.
Christmas reminds me all year long that I have been blessed with an incredible wife, who has contributed immeasurably to the journey of my life. I admire her character in ways that can’t easily be expressed. I’m usually not at a loss for words, so maybe this will give you inkling of how I see her... She is one of the most Godly persons I’ve ever known. Everyday I see the evidence of God working in her life, creating within her the fruits of the Spirit... everyday I am witness to His awesome transformation of the “love of my life” into a beautiful vessel for His purpose. I’ll be honest, sometimes what God has done to her scares me, but the person she has become has made me better in my walk with God. I want to grow old with her and love her more deeply every day of the year. I can’t think of anything else I would rather be doing with my life.
No Christmas gift thoughtfully selected and beautifully wrapped, can surpass the treasures that abound in my life. These treasures are with me and around me every day of the year. My family is like a “living toy box” filled with wondrous gifts. Right now... my grandsons, “my little men” are my greatest joy. One I see everyday, my other “little man” lives far away. But I dream of him and think of him everyday. His smile, his laughter, his highjinks and antics are indelibly etched in my soul. I love him dearly.
More now than ever before, Christmas has become a season for me to think about my time in this life. I don’t worry or fret about how many more Christmases I have left to enjoy with my family, but I do worry about what I will leave behind. If I can leave my daughters and grandchildren only one thing, it wouldn’t be a financial inheritance. It would be Jesus, the Gospel, God’s Word, zeal and passion for serving Him—for only these will carry them through the peaks and valleys of their lives and into eternity.
You see, I’ll be there first... waiting for all of you to join me in God’s great paradise. The greatest gift you can give to me, your father, your grandfather, is to reward me with your eagerness to live each day of your lives passionate for Christ and one day to join me in eternal life in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. I’ll be heart broken if you don’t join me.
This Christmas of 2010, I make some important promises to my daughters and grandchildren.
For all of you... I promise to pray for you everyday. I will pray for your health. I will pray for clear direction from God for you. Above all else, I will pray for your salvation. I pray that you will discover the grace that comes by faith in Jesus Christ and passionately embrace Him. Nothing is more important for you in this life.
For my two grandsons and granddaughter, I promise to always be there for you. When you get old enough to use the telephone, your calls will be a gift of immeasurable value to me. Nothing will be more important than talking to you. I want to be with you as much as we can be together. The years are picking up speed and going by rapidly, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you.
To my grandchildren, I pray that each one of you becomes a child of God. For when you do, you will not only be my grandsons and granddaughter, you will be my brothers and sister “in Christ.” There is no gift of greater worth than to be bound together in the love and grace of Jesus.
For all of you... I will always be your biggest fan. Of course, I don’t know what paths you will pursue, but I will be there to encourage you, to cheer you on, to remind you that you can do anything in God’s strength. Sometimes I will need to remind you that the path you are choosing is not a good one and you need to rethink your choice. I will always try and help you make wise and Godly choices. I pray that we can grow in trust so we can discuss the things that trouble your hearts. God is never far off from you. He desires to work in your life. I pray that all of you will look to your mother and grandmother and emulate her life of godliness. It will be so exciting to see how God will direct you and how He will use you.
You see, I know God has great plans for your life. I can’t even imagine the ways that He will use you. It will be pure joy for your mother, grandmother and I to watch His plan unfold in your lives. No matter how challenging your life circumstances may be, there’s something wonderful always waiting for you... the “risen Christ.” Everyone can reach out and take the hand of Jesus and walk with Him. This is the greatest Christmas gift that could ever be!
This Christmas, more than any other, I am realizing that this life is brief. I will be gone for most of your years. So I pray that I can leave to you a legacy of love, a legacy of joy, and my life legacy of a heart committed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I love you all so very much.
Dad and Granddad
