At Home – by Rudy Gray

For some reason, we have a tendency to measure things in known units: age, weight, height, years, seasons, etc. From Thanksgiving until the end of the year is a unique time. It is usually filled with shopping, parties, meals, gatherings, church services, etc. Some radio stations play nothing but Christmas music (all kinds of Christmas music). This stretch of time is one of my favorite times of the year. I still have hopes of something resembling a Norman Rockwell painting depicting the hearth, the family, and a recognition of God and His Word.

Rudy Gray

This is also the time of year when many people become depressed. The holiday season can be depressing for people for many reasons, but including someone in our gatherings can help both them and us. Doing something Christ-honoring can be not only a blessing to others, but a blessing to us as well.

One Thanksgiving Day, a deacon friend and I traveled to Emory to see a man who was having a kidney transplant. We missed the Thanksgiving meal, but the deacon’s brother thought it was a nice thing we were doing and volunteered to treat us to a nice meal.

When we left the hospital late on Thanksgiving Day, we began to search for a nice place to eat. Expense was not the question; we were looking for somewhere nice. To our surprise, everything seemed to be closed. We finally found a crowded Waffle House open. We were grateful. Thanksgiving took on a different perspective for us. The man who had the transplant is in church and is doing great today.

This may sound strange, but one year I took a vacation and painted my daughter’s kitchen, hall, and great room. She was out of town attending a meeting for teachers. I listened to Christmas music all day long on the radio (even sang along some). It was one of the best weeks I’ve had. She felt pretty good about all the free labor as well.

This season is filled with so many challenges, memories and opportunities. We can be a blessing and, in the process, discover blessing for ourselves. We can discover ways to serve Christ we never thought of previously.