 Christmas at the “Hudson” home was always very special for my parents, myself, and my two brothers. My dad, whom I dearly loved, wasn’t a terribly affectionate nor involved dad, but come Christmas, his love for us and Jesus shone BRIGHTLY. At least several weeks in advance, he would hang many strings of lights…twinkle lights…along the ceiling in our family room. It took him days and days to decorate the ceiling, the tree, and the outside with lots of Christmas lights. In those days people didn’t use a lot of expensive outdoor lights, but our family showed their love of Christmas with many outdoor lights. My mother, whom I adored as much, went to great lengths to prepare our favorite meals. She was an excellent cook and her Dobosch Torte was her specialty (at least 12-15 layers). She decorated the inside of our home like Southern Living. Many, many hours went into our Christmas gifts and Santa gifts- both the wrapping and shopping for there was no Amazon.com back then! We always went to the midnight service at our Episcopal church. As a teenager, I loved dressing up and taking a date to the service. This Christmas service was indeed a highlight of the season.
I know I felt the love of Jesus and God through all my Christmas experiences, memories, and blessings growing up. My parents “lived the light of Christ” in their memorable Christmas blessings to us an others. I am so fortunate to have grown up in such a loving home! Daily Reading: Isaiah 6 6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4 The pivots[a] on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph[b] touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ 9 And he said, ‘Go and say to this people: “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” 10 Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.’ 11 Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said: ‘Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; 12 until the Lord sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. 13 Even if a tenth part remains in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.’[c] The holy seed is its stump. Comments are closed.
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