Memories

Well, Christmas is gone, along with a whole lot of money! But money well spent, as long as we remember that the reason we exchange gifts is not for fun, but in remembrance of a little baby born in a Bethlehem stable over 2000 years ago.

I hope you all had a wonderful day spent with loved ones. For all of you soldiers overseas, I hope you took time out of your schedule to realize that you are not over there in vain, and that your sacrifice is remembered and greatly honored by most of us on this side.

I remember all those Christmases that I missed...nothing will bring those back, and that makes these later ones so much more cherished. For our children grow up all too quickly, don't they? Memories are forever- make sure you remember that and make yours worthy of remembering.

I remember in 2000, I was in Kuwait during Christmas. I served in an Air Defense Unit, and I was the Satellite Monitor that watched the skies over Kuwait City, and I had duty that night. I went outside to smoke, and I remember how clear the sky was, and how beautiful the stars were. . I wondered if the skies over the Middle East had been that clear while those Magi crossed the deserts from Persia. One of the benefits of working in a Joint Command Center was that I had a phone that could call any where in the world, so after receiving permission from my British shift supervisor, I called home. Roxann and the kids were in Germany, and she was having a really rough time. She had three kids in diapers, and her plans to return to Ohio were thwarted because she had lost one of the kids passports. She was in a deep, deep, depression, and I felt so helpless. But on that night, by the grace of God, we were able to reach through that heavy fog and help each other see the big picture.

And another Christmas when I was in Korea. This time, I was alone in my barracks room, and had noone to share my misery. Roxann had went home to visit our families in Ohio and Alabama, and I was worried sick that our van was not up to the trip. I tried to focus on school work, etc., but I remember feeling so lonely...and then a Peace like you had never known, or at least I hadn't, settled on me, and I realized that I was never alone! And it was like a huge weight was lifted off of my chest. So I got out of my selfishness, and decided that I was being pitiful. 90 others in my unit were also alone on this Christmas. And 8 of those were "my" soldiers. They were young, and for a lot of them, it was their first Christmas away from home. They looked to me for strength and leadership, and I was in my room having a pity party. So I went to them, and visited them in their rooms. Laughed and joked with them, but most importantly, I listened to them; I let them tell me what they missed the most about home, etc.

So I hope you all made the most of this time with your families. Remember, there were a lot of people that spent Christmas surrounded by people, but were really alone. Soldiers and policemen, firefighters in Florida...they all missed their Christmas so you could safely have yours. And enjoy those pre-dawn wake-ups by the kids...cherish them, because their will come a time when you wished they were there on Christmas morning waking you up at or before the sun came up.

And most of all, thank your God in Heaven, that He allowed His Son to come to us and spend a little time on this old hunk of dirt to show us all the way. Want to know what that "way" is? Jesus said, I Am the Way...

So I hope you all had a joy filled day. Thanks for making this blog so popular this year, and thanks for all of your kind words and comments...and even your criticism. I look forward to another year, and many, many more friends and even more "memories."

Jesse