Christmas is just two weeks away. I’m just now beginning to shop for gifts. No trekking through the stores this year. Our daughter, who is a pediatrician, has had me and my husband on lockdown since February because we’re high risk for the coronavirus.
Deb has been seeing children with covid every day in her practice. Even though she sees those who have covid symptoms outdoors rather than in her office, a father who was not wearing a mask probably infected her the Monday after Thanksgiving. The weather was miserable that day with rain and tornado warnings. I always thought “neither rain nor snow” was the motto of the United States Postal Service – NOT what would be required of my daughter in her medical practice.
We were concerned that I might have been exposed because my granddaughter was here the next day. She wore two masks and I wore mine, but we were indoors and closer than six feet. So my husband and I started wearing a mask in our home and I slept in the spare bedroom. (Except for Philadelphia, our county has the highest number of covid cases and deaths in the area.)
Thank the Lord I have not gotten covid and Deb is recovering. But Christmas will be very different this year. We won’t be with any of our kids and grandkids. There will be no family dinner or opening of gifts around the tree.
Still, as I consider what gifts to purchase for family and friends, I’m grateful for all the gifts I’ve received this year despite the pandemic. Covid has not claimed the life of anyone I’m close to. Although financially things have been challenging, we have not needed to wait in long lines to get free food.
We are facing other challenges. My husband has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. While it’s in the early stage, his Gleason score is high so he will begin hormone treatments next Monday. In addition, we’re weighing the cancer risk vs. covid exposure to beginning radiation now five days a week for seven to eight weeks.
So, in the midst of this very strange year what gifts does Father want me to give to loved ones? And what about you? Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Let me encourage you to consider the following:
A special gift because of the pandemic is worshipping with Marty Goetz Tuesday and Friday nights, 7 p.m. Central. His “House of Worship” with his daughter, Misha, and wife, Jenny, has drawn me into the Lord’s presence and deeply ministered to me. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. And for your gift-giving, visit www.MartyGoetz.com. You’ll find CDs and DVDs at special prices that Jenny will ship to you quickly. And as a gift to yourself, click here for a free video of their powerful latest release, “For Such a Time as This.”
God Is Big enough” says my friend Nick Harrison. “If you’re praying for a miracle, you can expect God to answer and provide you with real hope even in your darkest hours.” Nick is a literary agent and a frequent faculty member at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. He had planned to be at this year’s Philly conference until the pandemic caused it to be cancelled. Available on Amazon.
Written by my dear friend, Barbie Haley, who says, “In this crazy 2020 Christmas season here’s a gift that will bring peace and joy to those you love. These Christmas Carol Devotions remind us of the greatest gift ever – the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! Send the gift of LIFE – the only REAL answer to the trials and suffering in today’s world.” Available on Amazon.
Yes, Father, thank You for the precious gift of Your Son. Help us to keep our eyes on Him this Christmas and every day of the new year.
His life is the light that shines through the darkness—
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:5 TLB
Write His Answer 
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