REFLECTING CHRISTMAS

Christmas time I have to say is one of the times of year I love. It has always been this way for me. I can remember as far back as a child, how my parents made this a special time of year. I was not a believer way back then, but my parents always had good values. Family ment everything to them and it still does. I remember one Christmas I wanted this doll that was called a "Walking Doll". It was bigger then I was and when you stood it up, you could move the legs back and forth as you walked it. I remember waking up Christmas morning and there under the tree were two dolls, one for my sister Sandy and one for me, we both were so thrilled. I remember traditions that have been passed down by my Grandmother to my mother then to us and now my older daughter is now passing them on to her chidren. Christmas time in our family has been a time where we all, Brother and sisters can get together with our parents and our families and reminise about the Christmas's before or what has been happening in each of our lives. We all meet Christmas Eve at our parents house and eat and laugh and even sometimes cry over the loss of loved ones not there to share this time with us. We eat moms famous Meat Pie and Sausage Rolls and we all bring other food to share. We then all sit together and open presents from one another. It is one time of the year I can look back at with a smile and warmth.

This Christmas was a time of reflecting too. It started our a week before Christmas, we stopped at my parents to drop off some Can's of Coffee we had bought the week before for my parents. I knocked at the door a few times and there was no answer. It worried me a bit because my dad and mom knew we were coming and they were not home. We headed home and when I checked the messages on the phone, there was a message from my mom, dad had a heart attack. We rushed up to the Hospital and found out it was a serious one. He was hooked up to many machines and the doctors were doing all kinds of tests on him. The doctors informed us it did not look good. All his valves to the heart were blocked except one and it was only working 30% andit had calapsed. They said they were going to go and see if they could put a stent in, to open it up. We waited as they prepared him and finally the doctor came and said he refused to do it because he believed my dad would not come out of the operationing room alive. We were all upset by this news. They put dad back in his room and had to give him a shot because they had weaned him off his blood thinner. He needed rest so we all went home. I went home that night so upset because yes I knew I might loose my father but mostly because I was not sure of his salvation.

As far back as I can remember my parents have knelt down side by side and prayed every night. The read their bible daily and thier devotions too but I still feel they base their salvation on works, I am not 100% sure if they know the Lord personally. I need to feel that they do. So when I got home that night I cold not hardly sleep at all. I would fall asleep for awhile and then just wake up and cry out to the Lord that he was first save my dad and secondly give us a few more months at least. I have to say I have not prayed like that for many years and it made me feel so guilty. I kept thinking why does it take this to happen for me to spend that much time in prayer. Lord forgive me.

The next day the doctors were preping him again for the surgery and the same doctor refused my dad again and then a younger doctor agreed to do it. My dad and mom sat in the room and talked together about thier options and they both decided to have the surgery done. It was hard for us all. They asked my mom to go down to the waiting room while they got him ready and as they were doing that he went into cardiact arrest and they had to use the paddles to revive him. They rushed him down to OR and he was quite upset because he wanted to see my mom before he went in but there was no time. The doctor got the stent in but it was very hard to do. The doctor came out with no bed side manner and just told us, he has no hope that my dad will live much longer. My sister Sandy got upset with how he told my mom and I just told her, this doctor does not have the last say I said there is a greater physician and Healer and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord uses so many situations for us to speak of his greatness, you see my Sister is not saved yet I seen a calmness about her when I said that. My dad's heart attack has given us many reasons for Jim, myself and our children that are saved to bring glory to God and and I am so thankful for that. My dad is home now, it has been a week and three more days the Lord has given us with him and I say "To God be the Glory."

So another Christmas that has been a blessing to me, I have to say more then any Christmas. We didn't just get together and celebrate Christmas, we got together and celebrated what God had done by answering prayer and giving us a little more time with my dad.

Thank you Lord and I would ask for prayer that the Lord would give me the right words in sharing the Gospel and that I can feel 100% that my praents know Him personally. I have shared the Gospel to them many times but I just don't feel 100% about what they base thier Salvation on. I hope I don't sound hard?

May you all have a Happy New Year and that it will Glorify God!

Cristina