It’s the Week Before Christmas

By Pastor B.J. Knefley

I wanted to write something catchy for this Christmas, but I’m afraid it just isn’t there. Perhaps you’re like me—tired and overwhelmed with too much to do before the holiday. Between the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, I hardly know where to start. How did we get here? Sixty years ago, it was just the two of us. I guess having children was in our future, but I don’t think we ever really thought about it back then. The joy of being newlyweds filled our lives, and we didn’t have much time for anything else. Little did we know that within that first year, I would be involved in the Vietnam conflict. We didn’t realize that by the time I got out of the service, we would have two children and I would need to find a job. We didn’t worry much about life; we just took it as it came. The only thing we planned for was what we would have for dinner. Those were wild days.

My first Christmas as a family didn’t happen because I was away, living on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin, located in the South China Sea. Christmas felt like any other day. There were no special holiday treats, although I’m sure they did their best. Mess hall food was still mess hall food, no matter how much garland you put on it. But you know what? We made it through those years of separation and trials.

We got through the 60s and 70s without a lot of care. Were things easier back then? Did we worry less? I don’t know. What I do know is that we survived. There were hard times, of course. I experienced a period of unemployment that lasted almost a year. I took odd jobs to support my family, and even our third child was born during those lean times. In the end, I think we were better off than many others. Why? Perhaps it was simply because we believed we could make it. We were never defeated. Even without a strong faith, we believed that God would provide for our needs, and He did.

And so here we are, the week before Christmas, in the twilight of our years. Somehow, we will find ourselves where we need to be at the right time, and we will have all the gifts ready. Worry? No, things will come together just as they are meant to. Think about it.