Tag Archives: Christmas stories

All Grandma Wanted For Christmas Was…

Christmas, My Family, , , ,

All Grandma Wanted For Christmas Was…

Christmas of ’76 was memorable for my dad and his family.

Just a few days before that Christmas, my grandpa wrote:

 December 22, 1976 – Geraldine had the operation in the St. John’s Hospital. All went well. We all visited her except John – under 14 not admitted to the hospital…

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My dad tells it to me:

Grandma had to have some surgery, and elected to do it during the holidays because she felt that she would get better service – on account of so many patients wanting to be out of the hospital for Christmas. Gerald and Cathy felt the children should all band together and pay for the operation.  I was going to optometry school at that time and didn’t have a penny to my name.  My 3 youngest siblings were likewise poor. 

So Gerald and Cathy, and also Yvonne and Bill, contributed the lion share of the bill.  They paid it ahead of when Grandpa went down to see how much he owed for the operation and hospital care. 

 I wondered what I could do to help my mom? I hoped that there might be something that I could do for her, as I loved her as much as anyone else. I went up to see her and to try and figure out what that special something could be that I could give. I said to Grandma, “Mom—What would you really like for Christmas?”

 Grandma astonished me with her answer.

” I want to see your little brother”.

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 That might be impossible. My little brother, John, was not old enough (according to the posted signs) to enter the hospital.  The hospital was guarded on the front steps by an armed guard. Gun at his side.

 As I prayed and pondered I remembered the time a few years before when I had dressed up like Santa when the youth of our ward went Christmas caroling. I thought, I could do that again and maybe – just maybe – I could get John in, if he was dressed up like an elf.

 I asked my sisters, Beth and Joyce,if they could help me with John’s costume. I would need green tights and green everything for John. They assured me that they could furnish the costume. I asked John if he was willing to go along with the idea, explaining that there was a chance that it might not work and that we could be severely reprimanded by the guard or hospital authorities. John said he was willing to give it a try.

So John and I got all dressed up – I as Santa Claus and John as an elf. We went up to the hospital entrance. The guard spotted us coming.

 “Well, what have we here? Santa and his helper! Right this way!”

 It was hard to get up to Grandma’s room. When I dressed up like Santa before, I just ran around with the other youth in the ward singing Christmas carols. People seemed to think it was cute that Santa was along. I had not anticipated this time that so many patients would want to say hi to Santa or to tell him that they had been good.  It was a treat for Santa to be where they were in the hospital.

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Eventually our family – including John and I in costume -made our way up to Grandma’s room. Grandma seemed to be resigned to her circumstances, and comforted by the fact that she was indeed getting find treatment. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw us, and spotted John – she was overjoyed! We had a nice visit that day. 

“You brought me the best thing ever!”    

John and I walked away with a feeling that I will never forget.

 To this day that is one of my most memorable Christmases.

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 My Grandpa’s Diary Entry for that Christmas:

‘December 25, 1976.

All gathered around the Christmas tree at 8:00 am, except Geraldine who was still in St. John’s Hospital. We all opened the presents. We had a wonderful Christmas time.

Cathy Lynn prepared the Christmas dinner. It was truly a banquet. We had lots of leftovers.

At 2 pm we all went to the hospital to see Geraldine. Douglas dressed as Santa in the Ward’s Santa Claus suit, and John was made up as an Elf. We put all her presents in Santa’s bag- she was really surprised to see us. We spent about an hour at the hospital. On the way out of the hospital Douglas and John made several stops to see children both young and old to wish them a Merry Christmas.

 We all felt at the end of the day it had been the best Christmas we had ever had, even though Gerri was in the hospital. We begin to see that even during trying times we are able to have very choice experiences and good times. The Lord truly has been good to us. He has blessed us in so very many ways. But best of all he has blessed us with each other.

A better family I could not be part of, they are really great.

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Wise Men, Wise Women

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“They saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him.”

We know wise women who are as dedicated and faithful as the Wise Men who followed a star to find Jesus.  I love the phrase. “Wise men still seek them.” I include women in that statement too.

We’ve  seen whom I consider the “wise women of Christmas.” Mary, Elisabeth, and Anna. And the other figures in the nativity that  included women. We’ve seen wise women in our lives.

I love this passage from Beverly Cleary’s Romana and Her Father:

*Romana was puzzled. “I thought they were supposed to be wise men,” she said.

“The boys backed out at the last minute,” explained the girl with the blackest eyebrows. “Mrs. Russo said women can be wise too, so tonight we are the Three Wise Persons.”

The idea seemed like a good one to Ramona. *

And it’s a  good idea to me.

How can we seek Him? We can turn to others and learn of Him through the scripture. Ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” Thoughts?

“When they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

We can’t offer gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So what can we offer?

What the Lord requires of us is to love one another.

I recommend the two clips below. One is the popular “Share the Gift” and the other is called “Wise Men Still Seek Him.”

 

References:
Matthew 2
Romana and Her Father by Beverly Clearly

Anna, the Prophetess

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Anna the Prophetess

Who?

She lost her husband when she was young. She had been married for less than ten years. When we meet Anna in the second chapter of Luke, she’s an elderly widow of many years.How did she go on with life? But she did her best and served at the temple. She and another person 720px-Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_056 (2)named Simeon recognized that the baby Mary and Joseph brought to the temple was Jesus. The baby would someday be the Savior of mankind.

 

I first learned about Anna when my mom was playing a new Christmas song at the piano. She was putting music to a poem written by our friend, Sally Wise.

Sally writes of Anna:

She came to the temple,
Anna the faithful.
She was old and wise, she fasted and she prayed.
When she beheld the baby, her heart was filled with joy.
She gave thanks and spoke of Him, Savior to all men.
She knew, she knew, she knew her Savior.

The Substance of Hope copyright of Elsbeth YoungAnna is a significant person in the Christmas story because she is another witness that Jesus had indeed been born. We need to pay attention to her.

She had gone through a lot while remaining faithful to the Lord. She knew the real meaning of “good tidings of great joy” and peace, and we can as well.  We probably all know Annas who endure while seeing the good in life.

Sally ends her poem by showing how we can be like Anna and Simeon:

At this Christmas season,
I will remember
The birth of Christ our Savior, the babe of Bethlehem.
As I read the scriptures I can feel His warmth.
And I know He lives today, Savior to all men.
I know, I know, I know my Savior.

References:
Luke 2
“They Came to the Temple” by Sally Wise
Images:
Featured and second image in post: The Substance of Hope found on alyoung.com. Copyright by Elsbeth Young.  All Rights Reserved.  Courtesy of Al Young Studios.
Simeon in the Temple by Rembrandt

Angels and Shepherds Sharing the News

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The night started like any other night. It was business as usual. Watching their flocks.Whatever was on the shepherds’ minds, nothing couldn’t fully prepare for them for an angelshepherds-see-new-star-39535-gallery (1)
 and how “the glory of the Lord shone round about them.” Of course they got scared.
And of course the angel had to speak the same words he spoke to everyone in this story.

“Fear not.”

Since it’s repeated so many times, it’s worth thinking about. Especially in the case of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The angel declared:

 “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people…For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

This news was exciting! After the angel said, “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger,” the angel was joined by a heavenly host of angels, who also stressed how important we should not fear, but rejoice that the Son of God had come to earth!

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

I imagine there were many angels–maybe more than 1000. I wished I had witnessed that night with the shepherds, but I got a peek when I was among the 1000 angels in this video–

The shepherds dropped what they were doing and “came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

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I’m sure there was a sense of peace and reverence  in the stable. After the shepherds witnessed the  miracle, they told others the good news. Perhaps the shepherds rushed into the town of Bethlehem, and maybe an innkeeper or two heard it. Everyone who did, were in awe at the shepherds’ message.

Even after sharing what they had seen in the stable, they were still “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.”

It seems like the shepherds never forgot that piercing night. It’s a night we should remember too.

Coming soon: an account of being an angel, more nativity figures, and a Christmas story that captures the spirit of Christmas.

 

References:
Luke 2

Images:
“Annunciation to the Shepherds” by Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp
The Announcement of Christ’s Birth to the Shepherds, by Del Parson from lds.com
Illustration from Alden’sbook  Prince of Peace
Savior of the World rehearsal lds.com
“The adoration of Shepherds” byGerard van Honthorst

Each of Us Is An Innkeeper

Christmas, Scriptures, , , , , , , , , , , ,

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” ~Luke 2:7

Traveling with a pregnant women can be scary. Imagine Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Perhaps they traveled in a caravan for some parts of the journey, made quite a few stops, and lagged behind. And when they finally arrived in Bethlehem, it took time to find a place to stay. The inns were full.

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Just how significant is the innkeeper in the story?

When the Robertsons put on the Christmas play last year, Jep Robertson insisted it was an “important role…if the innkeeper hadn’t turned them down, you see’d this entire play in a hotel room.”

In all seriousness, though, did the innkeeper regret turning away a pregnant woman ? Did the innkeeper suspect Mary was carrying the King of Kings? Someone told me, “I bet all the innkeepers are kicking themselves  right now.”

Joseph must have been really bargaining. I heard a theory that he might have even helped build the manger. Whatever the case, Mary and Joseph arrived in the stable. Soon Jesus was born, and Mary laid Jesus in a manger.new-era-2010-december-cover-749909-gallery

Jep reflected more about the innkeeper and related the role back to Mary and Joseph. How it must have taken a lot of faith on their part. After all, they didn’t have the internet or phones. Couldn’t make reservations.Though they were turned away from the inn, they found a place to stay. I wonder how they reacted to the prospect of staying in a stable? Yet the birth itself was “good tidings of great joy.” Soon afterwards, the stable would get special visitors who had easier access to a stable rather than an inn. So that was a blessing.

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But how is the innkeeper relevant to us? Elder Neal A. Maxwell pointed out, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” I’ve been thinking about that statement a lot. What’s your take?

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Luke 2
All images from lds.org–Media library : https://www.lds.org/media-library

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

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Naturally, Mary was surprised by angel Gabriel’s visit.. Even after the angel assured her she was highly favored and she was blessed among women, she was still frightened.

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“Fear not,” said the Gabriel, “for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. And he shall be great.” The angel told Mary the many great things Jesus would be. That’s a lot of pressure. Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.”

The angel concluded, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

800px-Gospel_of_Luke_Chapter_1-16_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media)She would need those words. She traveled to her cousin Elisabeth. As previously mentioned, their visit was an uplifting one.

 

And Joseph, her betrothed, would also need to know Mary was pregnant. And she was not carrying his child. She was not married. How would he react?

 Joseph’s Reaction:

nativity-mary-joseph-1102819-galleryIt was a shock when Joseph found out his fiancé was pregnant. What could he do about it?

 

The Bible describes Joseph as a “just man, and not willing to make her [Mary] a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” This meant he didn’t want Mary to face public humiliation. He “desired to release or divorce her secretly.” This also meant Joseph really respected women.

Deep in thought, he had a dream where an angel appeared and said, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”Anton_Raphael_Mengs_-_The_Dream_of_St._Joseph (2)

 

Joseph must have been relieved Mary was faithful to him. But since she was carrying a son that was “to save his people from their sins” that meant Jesus would need to be raised very well. Could you imagine the responsibility Joseph must have felt knowing he was to be the guardian of the Son of God?

But Joseph was up for it. He “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.” He married Mary. He was obedient to God’s commandments as well as a law abiding citizen

Because Caesar Augustus decreed his empire should be taxed and the citizens go to the place of the heritage, Joseph needed to go to Bethlehem.

Joseph had to travel to pay taxes and take his pregnant wife, who was carrying a baby-who would be the Savior of the World- safely to Bethlehem. Joseph had a lot on his mind. Perhaps he also had in mind the saying the angel brought to Mary: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Joseph would need both physical and spiritual strength to make the journey.

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King James Version of Bible
Matthew 1 and footnotes
Luke  1, 2

 

 

All photographs from lds.org–Media library : https://www.lds.org/media-library
and https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/?lang=eng

The Aunnunciation: The Angel Gabriel Appears to Mary  (lds.org)

Mary and Elizabeth-_by_Sweet_Media

“The Dream of St. Joseph” (circa 1770s) by Anton Raphael Mengs.

 

 

 

Elisabeth, Mother of John the Baptist

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Elisabeth and her husband, Zacharias, were good people. They were in their golden years and had been faithful to the Lord, and, yet, nothing could fully prepare them for the news from the angel, Gabriel. Zacharias was probably the most shocked.

While doing his priestly duties in the temple, Gabriel appeared to him privately. Understandably, Zacharias was also “troubled.” The angel started out with his usual greeting of “Fear not.” The angel went on.  “For thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,  and thous shalt call his name John.”

The news was too much for Zacharias. This was impossible. He and his wife were very old. Gabriel called these things “glad tidings” and still Zacharias was in a state of unbelief. Since he was in doubt, Gabriel told him, “Thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.”

One could only imagine Elisabeth’s reaction when her husband came home speechless. Yet, she was grateful and accepting to carry a son who would eventually be known as John the Baptist.

Six months into her pregnancy, Mary visited her. At Mary’s greeting, “when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.”Champaigne_visitation

At the moment, Elisabeth officially knew her cousin would give birth to the Son of God. Elisabeth said, “Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord could come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”

Mary also acknowledged her gratefulness. “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiceth in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

This is an important part in scriptures seeing women interact and celebrating with each other. It also shows how much God is aware of women.

Mary helped Elisabeth for three more months before going back to her town.

And yes, Zacharias spoke  again at the naming of his son.

 

King James Version of Bible:
Luke Chapters 1 & 2
Photos from https://www.lds.org/bible-videos as well as the scriptural references and videos.
Painting: ” Visitation”, by Philippe de Champaigne