A Goldilocks Life

“Silent Night”

One Christmas, Dad decided we should sing carols. There we all were, encircling Dad on the front room floor. He played his Gibson ES-150 sunburst hollow-body electric guitar wearing no shirt, just pajama bottoms. We had all been bathed, and only Mom was still dressed. There were “chestnuts roasting” and “Frosty the Snowman” –he didn’t know all the chords, so we sang those parts acapella. Dad used a Christmas carol book for a few of the time-honored songs.

That started a family tradition. “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Jingle Bells” became favorites, with Dad strumming his guitar. Sometimes Mom played piano, but mostly she sang along. We didn’t harmonize. We all sang the melodies as loud as we liked. Tears fill my eyes as I recall Mom and Dad singing together, smiling at us and one another.

As years went on, Mom created lyric sheets of Christmas songs, and we sat on chairs and couches. We even sang simple harmonies. But early on, there were just the lit Christmas tree in the corner, the piano on the opposite wall, and the bunch of us in between on the carpet singing any words we could remember, with Dad strumming the chords he recalled or faking it if he couldn’t. Who knew we would sing carols at Christmastime for the rest of our lives?

This year, my brother Dave, brother-in-law Joe, and niece Jessie played guitar and nephew Randy played piano. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a family favorite, and a bunch of us acted out six geese a-laying, five golden rings, etc. Keeping with tradition, we ended with “Silent Night,” as it was Mom’s favorite. We sang it at her funeral.

“Silent Night” was written in 1818 in a rush to create a Christmas hymn for an Austrian church where the organ was broken. Father Joseph Mohr felt distraught, and it came to him that he could write a new song. Lord brought one to mind. He wrote down “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. . .”

That night “Silent Night” was sung for the first time, accompanied on guitar to a tune organist Franz Gruber composed at Father Joseph’s request. If it weren’t for a broken organ, there would never have been that beautiful remembrance of Jesus’ birth that reminds us “Jesus, Lord at Thy birth” is who Christmas is all about.

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Proverbs 18:10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

The snow blew sideways and deepened as we drove the Interstate back to my son’s college. Ray rode with eyes fixed on the road, as if by careful watching he could help navigate. One hand on my cell phone, the other on the steering wheel, I called to advise folks we’d be late. The car began to fishtail. I dropped the phone as our car slid into the truck next to us. Crying “Lord Jesus!” As our car began to spin around, I took my hands off the wheel and closed my eyes. We bounced onto rough ground and rolled to a stop in the ditch between the east- and west-bound lanes of traffic, uninjured. The truck never even stopped. Ray stared wide-eyed at me. Shaking, I dialed 9-1-1 and reported our emergency. As we waited for help to arrive, I murmured, “I’m sorry, Buddy. Thank God you’re okay.”

I can’t think about that day without thankfulness flooding my heart and tears filling my eyes. The strong tower of Jesus’ name is the only safe place when life spins out of control. Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Instead of running to call a friend or opening the refrigerator, let’s call on the Lord. Rather than waiting until our spouse gets home, we may talk to God now.

Do you face a difficult decision? Has life taken an unexpected turn? You may go to God in prayer—He hears, cares, and answers. We may call on the powerful name of the Lord Jesus Christ and find refuge, whatever we face. Then we may sing this testimony with the congregation: “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

That Inevitable Day

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

The TV series The Roosevelts[1] reveals President Theodore Roosevelt’s fascination with nature. As a child, Roosevelt kept live snakes and mice in his dresser drawers. He killed and stuffed hundreds of species of birds. As an adult, big game hunting became his passion. In recounting the Battle of San Juan Hill in his book, The Rough Riders[2], Roosevelt describes the dead soldiers in gory detail. This was a man familiar with death.

Unlike Roosevelt, most of us are sheltered from death. We disconnect dying from everyday life. A missionary couple once told me the African people they ministered to faced death often and accepted it as part of life.

Our days fly by. Before we know it, our parents are gone, then our friends, then us. Let’s be ready. Not just by buying a burial plot. Not just by writing a will. The Lord graciously offers everyone the opportunity to know Him. Eternal life is granted those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Knowing Him prepares us for that inevitable day. (Related Scripture reading Romans 3:21-26)

[2] The Rough Riders, by Theodore Roosevelt