Christmas Week 2014 - The Sequel

Our Christmas Day was quiet because we gave our daughters space to celebrate with their own families and their in-laws.  But we still had to celebrate with them so we chose New Year's Day for our get-together.

We've developed the tradition of having a brunch when we celebrate our family Christmas.  Between the 4 of us women, we provide quite a feast.  And it's a table full with all of us:  8 adults and 10 children.  Bring in an extra table for the Wallin/Lindsday/Sherf/Eberly gang.

 
There sure are a lot of kids!

A couple of the bigger kids!

We had our celebration at Christy's house because she was dog sitting and couldn't be gone from home all day.  The dogs were very well behaved, not doing much else but sleeping and loving cuddle time.

Claire likes to commandeer my camera and take lots of pictures.  Some turn out pretty good, others are easily deleted.  A favorite subject is Kasey.

Dawn got a good picture of Andy and me each with Kasey as well.

Don't mind that photo bomber in the background. 

Everyone had such a good time being together.  And I was happy to have some time holding any grandkid who would let me.

I came away with some good books to add to my growing library.  At present, good books are my life line to keep my heart from growing stagnant.  I got about 4 books and I started reading the smallest one first:  Humility by Andrew Murray.  

 

Andrew Murray lived in the 1800's, dying in 1917.  He was born in South Africa to missionary parents, although he received his education in Scotland.  he authored over 240 books, one of which is the one mentioned, Humility.  I am being challenged by what he wrote, showing how humble Jesus was and how all his teaching reflected that humility.

He wrote:

"Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue.  What is the incarnation but Jesus' heavenly humility.  He emptied himself and became nothing.  He took on the form of a servant."

"The life of absolute submission and dependence on the Father's will, Christ found to be one of perfect peace and joy.  He lost nothing by giving all to God.  Conformity to Jesus consists of being and doing nothing of myself that God may be all."

"The path to the higher life:  down, lower down.  My life's work is to be a servant.  Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds me abased and empty, His power and glory flow in to exalt and bless!  My one care is to humble myself; God's care is to exalt the one who is humble."

I continue to find this to be a challenge.  All my life I've attempted to submit to Andy's leadership.  But in so many areas now that he is ill, I've had to make decisions.  I still try to talk things over with him, but the challenge in this is that I don't know how trustworthy his statements and thoughts are.  Sometimes they seem lucid and good, other times he is unquestionably confused and off.  Then how do I go the direction that is needed when it seems like I am disagreeing with him?  It's a fine line sometimes.  The last thing I want to do is to make him feel like he is a "less than."  Fortunately, he is still good-natured and teases that at least, he'll soon forget that I'm not doing what he suggested.  

He still tries to be helpful - it's just part of who he is.  But that helpfulness is not always helpful.  Our niece is going to be moving into our upstairs apartment, and she and her parents have been here painting and doing some work to get it ready.  Andy has been attempting to "help" them, but he often gets confused and can't finish what he started.  I'm sure it's frustrating for him.  It has to be hard, too, for him to see others working on "his" house, when in previous years he was fully capable and talented in doing whatever needed to be done.  He not only has the mental incapability, he is physically unable to work as hard as others without becoming exhausted. 

Today's message was such a good reminder that this is not the end of the story, we and all of creation are groaning, waiting for God to make all things new and right again.  What we suffer here, is light and momentary, compared to the glory we will enjoy with our God for all of eternity.

Romans 8:18-
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

2 Corinthians 4:17-
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

May I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, seeing him who is invisible, the one who is true humility, meek and lowly, servant of all - humbling myself to the life he has called me to.