Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Proverbs 27:1 ESV)
People are passing away in record numbers, primarily due to Covid-19. Some of us realized many months ago that this virus is real, yet some who still feel that there is no such thing, and it is a hoax.
Can you imagine the Christmas dinner tables that will be missing so many loved ones this year? In some homes there will be no Christmas dinner because the whole family will have succumbed to the virus.
This is reason enough to let us know that we must show love to our family members and friends often in whatever way that we can, even if it is just a phone call or a text to check on them, because it could be our last time hearing their voices. Tomorrow is not promised, as a part of Proverbs 27:1(ESV) declares, “…for you do not know what a day may bring.” Some of us take too much for granted as this world is changing every day.
On a daily basis, my husband and I make sure that we say something endearing each night before retiring such as, “Good night, baby” and/or “I love you.” In the mornings we always speak to each other, and we usually ask, “How are you doing this morning?”
Why? First, we love each other dearly enough that it comes naturally. Secondly, we never know which day on this earth will be our last. Of course, longevity is what we both desire, but God has the final say-so about when our journey here will end. Therefore, we take advantage of each day, and we enjoy our time together to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.
One of the best things that we can do for each other, our families and friends on this Christmas Day, and always, is to give love. In Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV), the Lord affirms, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
God wants us to live and enjoy our lives, but He also wants us “to clean up” our transgressions, love each other, and put Him first. The Word confirms in 1 John 4:7 (ESV), “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” Therefore, let’s love while we have the chance.
As I close this week’s message with a very short illustration, “Christmas Carols” (Emelia), I would like for each of you to think about the brevity of life and how something so simple as singing carols can bring such joy to a loved one at just the right time.
“When I was little, my grandpa had cancer, and he and my grandma were too exhausted from all the treatments and emotions from the previous months to make the two-hour drive to Christmas with the rest of the family. So, my mom arranged for us all to go over to their house instead, and we stood outside in their yard singing Christmas carols. I’ll never forget the look on my grandma’s face when she drew the curtains to see what was going on outside — it makes me tear up just to think about how excited she was. My grandpa died a month later, but my grandma has always said how grateful she was that we didn’t forget about him on what ended up being his last Christmas.”
Merry Christmas to all! Have a wonderfully blessed week, be thankful in all circumstances, and never leave home without Him!
(Anna Bright is a minister and educator in Walterboro. She can be reached at abrightcolumn@lowcountry.com)
