As this year settles into the grip of winter, I sink into my chair at home. Dutch, our greyhound, is asleep on the carpet. I look at the tree in the corner and squint. The tiny lights seem to twinkle as I rock slowly; they take turns peeking out from behind a million evergreen needles.
I find myself overwhelmed by a kindness that cannot be measured. Vicki and I have been blessed by so many people: friends, colleagues, students, fellow travelers, explorers. I could never name them all. You know who you are. Haven’t we logged a few miles together? We’ve had some good laughs and shed a few tears. Lines have etched themselves more deeply into our faces, but I’m not going to worry about that. Smiles leave tracks too.
I am thankful for the evening. We saw lions rise from the tall grass to begin the hunt. I am thankful for the night. We listened to the soaring of prayers and the whistle of an icy wind rising over the cusp of Kilimanjaro. I am thankful for the day, we sang carols in the church where Jesus was born, we walked across Galilee—twice, and we stroked the face of the dying.
We might have even been lost a few times in the big tour bus, but I’ll never tell. Oh my!
Through it all, we learned more lessons. And God has been faithful.
The riches that matter are the kind that accumulate in the wake of personal experience and in the presence of excellent company. Together, we are wealthy.
From our place to yours I wish you a very merry Christmas!
Like most Christmas cards, I offer you the creativity of others.* In this case, the card is not a card at all, but a short and outstanding video. Have a look at the story of the birth of Jesus as told by the people of Bethlehem. For Bible Land Explorers, the scenes captured below will conjure up the memory of many sights, sounds, and smells.
It is a ready reminder of Christmas priorities. And a Christmas prayer.
*The video above was made by St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand. Anyone is welcome to show this film publicly, but not change it in any way, nor publish/broadcast it, nor make money out of it.