Merry Christmas to all our friends and
family, both far and near! Yes,
indeed! The season of Advent and
Christmas is here once again. Advent is
the season of waiting and we are all eagerly anticipating the celebrations and
reunions of this Christmastide. It is a
wondrous, delightful time that brings out the child-like wonder even in adults
like us. When we stroll along the
streets of our small village, Brown and I delight in the light displays in
“city-center” or along “Candy Cane Lane”.
It is a season of light, which is especially meaningful as we celebrate
the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world.
When I was young I wondered how my mother had enough to do to fill
all of her December days. After all, she
was not in school every day as I was. I
had not the faintest idea of how much time it took to shop and wrap, let alone
accomplish the day to day chores of a very busy mother of five. Now, however, I look at my long list of
to-do’s and wonder if I could accomplish them all even if I had more wisely
started my projects earlier. How frail
the nature of human procrastinators!
My childhood, like many of yours, was so much simpler in so many
ways . . . paper chains, trekking outside to pick a 7 ½ blue spruce from the
back lot, lights in all the windows and over the dining room archway, bubble
lights on the Christmas tree (and figuring out which bulb had fused so that the
set could be lit once more), secrets to be kept from everyone, shopping trips
to Norwich, the Sears & Roebuck catalog, hiding away to work on sewing
projects, going sledding down the big hill, tobogganing over the fields,
batches of fresh fudge, making popcorn balls with the ladies of the missionary
guild, the church’s Christmas program (I still remember the sock monkey that
they made for me when I was on “cradle roll”), the charged atmosphere
everywhere . . . and so much more. It
was also a family time, as all joined together in the many events. The month before Christmas was all this and
more – it was a time of great joy, excitation, and expectation.
Advent and Christmas in India, for Brown, was more different
still. There were no Christmas trees, no
Santa Claus, yet it was filled with great expectation and sweet anticipation of
the best that the Lord Jesus brought down to earth on Christmas day. Though there were no malls for shopping there
were small shops in the town, where tailors made new clothing for the families
for Christmas. The weather was warm, the
skies sunny. The hedges and fences were
filled with poinsettias. It was the
season of harvest – both rice and winter vegetables – so there was more than
plenty of good food for everyone to celebrate with and to share with
others. On Christmas Eve there would be
a Watch-night service, and Christmas morning was filled with making Christmas
cakes and cookies with flour from the new crops. The main service on Christmas morning was
before noon, and everyone came on Christmas morning dressed in their best. The main course for Christmas dinner was
capons that had been raised by the family and saved especially for that
day.
How things change though much remains remarkably the same. This year so much has happened in our small
Marathon family. One of the things that
impacted our lives the most is that Brown has had two major surgeries this
year. Strangely similar, both involved
an area close to his spine and both surgeries were performed in Boston. We discovered, in the course of our health
adventures this year, the Hope Lodge in Boston (and the one in Worcester,
MA). In both we found a supportive
community and established new friendships.
The one benefit in it all was that we were able to spend much time with
our grandchildren from Boston. Micah,
(who is becoming a very fine fiddler), instinctively knows how to “work a room”
and charm the adults she meets. Simeon,
not so unexpectedly, is a natural with a pool cue or at a foosball table. Ada loves doing everything the older siblings
do – especially Simeon – but especially loves role-playing, puzzles, and making
patterns. Simeon adores his grandpa,
while the girls are extra close with their grandmom. Our dear Janice has been our navigator
through the healthcare system in Boston.
Janice, Jeremy, and the whole family have offered a wonderful support
system to us in our times of need.
Sunita and Asha, Laureen, and Tom, Jess, and Lindy all came to Boston to
help us out. We are so very grateful.
Last May, as the school year was drawing to a close, Laureen and
Sunita came home for Mothers’ Day – well, a week after Mothers’ Day, to be
exact. They came (with two darling
little girls tagging along) to help honor me at school, as I was the yearbook
honoree for 2015-2016. That was, quite
literally, just about the last thing in the world that I would have
expected. In fact, I had not even
planned to go to the auditorium for the ranking ceremony/yearbook
dedication.
When school came to a close in June I headed off to Washington, DC
and Brown prepared to journey to India on a short-term mission trip. “Adventure” struck once again; Brown missed
his flight and then suddenly got too sick to make the trip, so he joined me in
Washington, DC. We were there through
the Fourth of July, getting plenty of grandchild love and helping Sunita with
her three while Andy and Laureen were in India on the mission trip. The team was able to do some very effective
ministry – speaking, singing, and praying in the strong name of Jesus. All returned blessed, enthused, and eager to
serve the Lord in this capacity once again.
We had wonderful days in DC with both Laureen and Sunita.
We have been able to spend time with each of our daughters in their
homes this year, and even went twice to visit Tom, Jess, and Rosalind at their
Abington, PA home. (I think that may be
a record for us). When we next visit we
may not even recognize the place, as Tom and Jess are taking on some
renovations to three rooms of their house.
Whether in their homes or ours it is always an incredible joy to be
able to spend time with our daughters.
Truly the Lord has blessed us in bringing each one into our lives. We especially enjoyed some golden days of
summer all together in New Berlin, making the walls of the old house ring with
laughter.
At the end of September we flew to Grand Junction, Colorado for our
nephew’s wedding. We had never seen such
scenery, with mesas to the North from every viewpoint. The wedding was a country classic event, with
chamber music for the ceremony and line dancing at the reception, with a
backdrop of Colorado mesas. While we
were in Colorado we took time to drive the local wine trail. We also spent a day at Colorado Monument,
which is like a mini Grand Canyon, on a day that there were a thousand
bicyclists riding through the park, and a day at Arches National Park in Moab,
Utah. It was only a little over an hour
away with the 80 mph speed limit on the highway there. We absolutely loved getting to know another
part of our great country first-hand.
The year 2016 has for us been paved with momentary afflictions,
temporary detours, and miniscule setbacks,
yet accompanied with tremendous blessings, surrounded by His amazing
grace, surprised by His joy that surpasses human understanding, and propelled
by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has poured
upon us His grace to run the race, looking unto Jesus, the pioneer and the
finisher of our faith. He has given us
the grace and strength to serve Him in season and out of season in Jesus. Along this journey He has been more than
wonderful. His grace has been more than
sufficient. His mercy has been
marvelous. Praise the Lord
Christmas. As one of the carols says,
“Man shall live forevermore because of Christmas Day.”
As we walk with Jesus, we begin to realize that what He has said is
in fact true, that there is strength in weakness, blessing in brokenness,
exaltation in humility, comfort in affliction, and even life in the midst of
death. This is all because of Jesus, the
Wonderful Counselor. Though it is
counterintuitive it is full of deep and lasting joy.
“For men are homesick
in their homes,
And strangers under
the sun,
And they lay on their
heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is
done.
Here we have battle
and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour
and high surprise,
But our homes are
under miraculous skies
Where the Yule tale
was begun.
“A Child in a foul
stable,
Where the beasts feed
and foam;
Only where He was
homeless
Are you and I at
home;
We have hands that
fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we
lost – how long ago!
In a place no chart
nor ship can show
Under the sky’s dome.
This world is wild as
an old wives’ tale,
And strange the plain
things are,
The earth is enough
and the air is enough
For our wonder and
our war;
But our rest is as
far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put
in impossible things
Where clashed and
thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible
star.
To an open house in
the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place
than Eden
And a taller town
than Rome.
To the end of the way
of the wandering star,
To the things that
cannot be and that are,
To the place where
God was homeless
And all men are at
home.” - G. K. Chesterton
Love,
Brown and Alice
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