A dear friend of mine, named Charlotte, died this past summer. Ever since junior high (when we picked up the rhyming names of Sheryl and Pearl), we have laughed, cried, prayed, and even danced our way through the highs, lows, and silliness of life.
Throughout the years, we often talked about our children, and prayed together for them. Now that she's gone, I feel a special closeness to her two grown children, Scott and Delacy. Amazingly, rather than simply wallowing in her own great loss, Delacy quickly found purpose in her mother's death. She picked up her mother's Bible. More importantly, she picked up her mother's faith in God! Scott, her brother, has not.
Knowing Sheryl's greatest desire was that her two children would turn their lives over to God, I have been writing to Scott since his mom died, telling him about her God and mine.
Except this Christmas, . . . and I'm ashamed to even say this .. . . I went with something more generic. Unoffensive. Political correct. I picked up a card with a snowman on the cover. A snowman! It's CHRIST-mas, and I'm a CHRIST-ian, and I was sending my best friend's grieving son a card with a SNOW-man on the cover!
Then, I realized that Mr. Snow-man had glittery stuff all over him, . . . and cards with glittery sparkley stuff do not always make it through the screening process in facilities like the one Scott is currently staying in.
So, I tried to find another non-offensive (translated: non-religious) card to send Scott. However, by then they were too picked over. (Obviously, lots of people go generic with CHRIST-mas cards, because nothing I saw passed this test.)
Finally, I came to my senses and sent off a bright red one (sans glitter) that read, The Word did not become a philosophy, theory, or a concept to be discussed, debated, or pondered, but the Word became a person to be followed, enjoyed, and loved."
The short handwritten note I added confessed to my charade. I also told him "I have gone with the cry of my heart and sent this card instead." (His mother would have shaken her head at the snowman! I think she would smile at my second choice.)
I will continue to pray that Scott will believe the words on the front of that card. And, in the meantime, I will work on my own courage to be real. No more snowmen for me on CHRIST-mas cards! No way!
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes . . . Romans 1:16
