Dear Friends,
Though most of you will be unable to visit with us in our home during the Christmas season we have sought to welcome you into our lives through our emails and especially through Lori's blog over the past year (www.nitw4ladies.blogspot.com). Lori is faithful to update her blog regularly and we receive more positive comments from her writing than anything else.
Lori's blog is our way of opening our lives to you and letting you in on what God is doing in our family. You have walked with us through our laughter and our struggles in the past year.
The most challenging time in the past few months for us was the loss of our baby boy in June. He was scheduled to be born this month. That challenging episode was a means of God's grace in strengthening us for the journey ahead. There is no way that I can effectively express how much we appreciated all of the emails that you sent that promised your prayers for us. Though we never responded to those individually--they were used of the Lord to help us during a dark valley in our family. Seldom a day goes by that we do not think of the baby and of God's provision for us.
Last year I wrote a column entitled, "Welcome to our Home." Someone recently wrote asking for permission to use that column in their church newsletter. Here it is again and feel free to use it if it is helpful.
Welcome to our home.
These walls hold voices. Listen carefully and you may hear...The cries of new born babies with the accompanying feelings of joy and the grief of a family at the loss of those unborn. Laughter and tears, the inseparable couple, have painted our walls and stained the floors.
Our family is extended beyond blood-lines to sports teams, church members and travelers that have come our way. Wedding vows have been made by our fireplace. Games played on our floors. Pizza has been enjoyed in front of our television. Presents have been opened beneath our tree.
These walls hold the high pitched voices of little girls who have used the hardwood as a skating rink and basketball court. These rooms have embraced young women that cook, clean, play music, welcome friends and laugh and cry...And cry and laugh.
And this place sustains a godly wife forever young and a man whose hair continues to gray. They grow together enjoying the patter of little feet and the intrigue of young ladies. Life is good.
Prayer meetings, worship services, team parties all have found a home here. Baptisms have been celebrated and friends have been counseled...all here between the walls.
Music from the violin, piano and guitar have wafted through our rooms and danced upon our senses.
Our home is a place of school, worship, and play. It is a place where memories are made and life is lived. You will not find a museum but a refuge, play ground, hospitality center, mission's station and a place where God is met.
Few seasons have found such a welcome in our home as Christmas. For weeks the day is anticipated. Plans are made. Trees are decorated. Traditions are relived. The kitchen smells of the holidays. The children will line up on the stairway on Christmas morning.
And, you are here. Your words will find a place in the archives of our memories. Your kindness in gracing our home will be long remembered. You have entered this season with us. You are here because you have touched our lives in some way. We are very thankful for you. You are a gift from God to us. Welcome!
And we pray that you will find that God is here. Yes, He is everywhere. And yet here, we pray, He is welcomed as a friend and worshipped as Lord.
Memories, wood, mortar, music, parties and even children are nothing without Him.
We have fallen short of His glory. He has shown more grace.
We welcome our Savior who came to "seek and save the lost." The walls of the womb and the walls of the cradle felt his first movements, heard his first cry and protected his early life.
And He grew. He never fell short. He died. He arose. He lives.
He is here!
No comments:
Post a Comment