Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A Most Unusual Christmas


I just read a post by Matt at The Church of No People about Christmas Vegans. They are the people who make you feel guilty for the way you celebrate Christmas (could also apply to other cultural/religious holidays). It made me reflect back on some memorable Christmases past.

There was the Christmas when we were deep into reconstruction on our old farmhouse and we learned of a missionary family (with 4 kids) who needed a place to stay during the month of December. We invited them to stay with us and our 7 year old son. One of our daughters had just gotten married after Thanksgiving, so her bedroom was available, and we moved our son into a hallway. His bedroom became a dormatory for three of the other kids, while their baby slept in their room. Our oldest daughter was coming home from college for Christmas, and we had constructed a new bedroom for her in the new basement. There was no flooring in the new kitchen or dining room, just plywood subfloor. The original kitchen was a "black hole" in the middle of the house, with the living room just beyond. Carpenters coming every day. And into that mess, we inserted 6 more people (strangers), our college student daughter, and also a German student from the local Bible school. She got the cot in Gail's room. Everybody was stretched, or compressed, depending upon how you looked at it. It was a truly memorable Christmas. Probably the kind with which Jesus could identify.

What was your most memorable Christmas experience?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's an awesome story! The kind of Christmas you look fondly back on...and never want to repeat again!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I don't know. We've had a houseful of unrelated strangers before...although not at Christmas. Those days (and people) have provided us with great stories. And maybe we've provided them with some, too!

Unknown said...

We have many happy memories of your amazing hospitality towards us as a family during our training. What a delight it has been to know your family. Thanks for all your love.

Anonymous said...

Bobby-
Our best memories have always been "people" ones. God has always provided just the right people at just the right times in our lives. I'm so glad that He brought you and your family!

Anonymous said...

What a story! thanks for sharing, I bet meal times were fun.

Anonymous said...

I'd recommend inviting people to share your space. You really don't get to know each other until you do. Our Western cultures are pretty insulated from that, but for most other cultures, it's just a way of life. Our churches have suffered from that insular attitude.