Christmastime Sickness

I am OVERJOYED to be sitting here this evening, blogging. Since Monday evening of this past week (11-8-08), our home has been the resting place for a super nasty virus. And before you ask...I have NO IDEA what kind of virus or where it was "picked up". All I know is that it spread like wild-fire (only fire destroys EVERYTHING, including nasty germs), and we are all basically recovering from a week full of sleepless nights (and days!), doing extra laundry, and poorly planned out dinners.
On Monday evening, our little "Lukie", as he is affectionately known around our home, became sick. He wound up in the hospital on Thursday, due to dehydration.

In all of the 18 years that I've been a Mom, I've never dealt with dehydration before. I've heard of it, of course, but my children have been so blessed to rarely ever be sick, so we've never had to go through the process of dehydration and re hydration. Process, I say, because that's exactly what it is. A process. And a rather frustrating one, too.

Luke spent 2 whole days in the hospital (and 1 night) with an iv in his arm. He's not yet 2, so you can imagine how much he enjoyed THAT! Which, in turn, made the rest of us enjoy it...NOT!

Because I was horribly sick, too (I totally got it from him!), my husband took him to the hospital and stayed with him for the first 6 hours. And because Luke is totally, completely, and utterly a "Daddy's Boy", my wonderful husband would have stayed with him the whole time...if he hadn't gotten sick himself.

When I got to a certain point in my "recovery", I made a beeline for the hospital. Luke was like a rag doll...no energy...and fairly swollen up from the fluids. I stayed with him until the DR deemed it okay for him to come home.
As I sat in the dark of his room, I realized how ridiculous we can all be at the Holidays. Most of the time, we are so consumed with the hottest toy...the most recent movie...or the general buzz that this time of year generates, that we bypass celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

Yea, I know. You hear this every year, right?
So maybe THIS year...you should listen.

I can guarantee you that while I sat in that room, watching my precious 23 month/26 day old baby sleep, I was in NO WAY concerned about what my children are getting for Christmas. And believe me...I don't have the "goods" yet. I wasn't concerned about what my husband is getting me for Christmas, or even what I'm getting him. It never crossed my mind to go home and boot up the 'ole computer to order the "goods" online for a weekend delivery.
In fact...the only thing on my mind was the health of my baby.

After all...what is the stuff good for, without anyone to give it to? It's just stuff. Stuff...when my baby would much rather be in the arms of his "Mom" or his "Daddy", and feel safe & secure at a time when he's in pain and afraid.

About 6 years ago, God spoke to me about gift-giving at Christmastime. I remember it well. I felt convicted that my children shouldn't receive so much at Christmas because the stuff would make it very hard for them to focus on the true meaning of the birth of Christ...the very reason we celebrate at all.

I told my Mom to limit her gifts to 2. Dean asked his parents to buy bonds for the children and only a couple of toys instead of giving them all toys. And I decided, with Dean's blessing, that I would only purchase 3 gifts for each of my children, because baby Jesus only got 3 gifts...so why should my children receive more than He did? It was HIS birthday, after all!
That year, we were very active in a marvelous couples class at our church. And we participated in a "progressive dinner", which was new to our class, and the first one I'd been a part of. For those who don't know, a progressive dinner is one in which you eat appetizers at one house...soup/salad at another...the main entree at yet another...and dessert is your last stop. So we all piled onto a school bus, and made our way around. We had SO much fun! We played all kinds of games on the bus, and planned skits to perform for the dessert stop.
For the main entree, we dined at a gorgeous home in Kensington. It was intimidating, actually, because those homes are new, humongous, and expensive, furnished with the best of everything. As God would have it (and as He was snickering up His heavenly sleeves), I was placed beside of the pastor of our church. We had only been in Knoxville for 6 months, and at Grace for 4 of those months. I didn't know our pastor very well personally. But of course, I loved the heart he had shown for God, through ministry.

As we waited for our food, I decided to talk to my pastor about my recent decision to "cut back" on gifts at Christmastime. As I explained my "plan" to him, Brother Ron very patiently sat and listened. Since my motive was not to make him think that I was "holier than thou", I expressed exactly what I felt about my children receiving more than the 3 gifts that baby Jesus received.

"I've struggled in recent years with buying my children lots of gifts at Christmas. So this year, I've purchased each of my children 3 gifts, Brother Ron, because I don't believe they should receive more gifts than baby Jesus did. And it's HIS birthday." I told him.

I'll never forget what Brother Ron said next...
"What makes you think baby Jesus only received 3 gifts?" he asked me, "the Bible only mentions 3 gifts, but this was the baby that all of Israel had been waiting for. I'm sure He had many gifts, the Bible doesn't say."

At that point, our plates were put before us, and we began to eat, with the subject moving on to other things.

But I'll never forget how his comments made me think. And how I developed a desire that night to understand God's Word more. Brother Ron wasn't at all offensive in his frankness of the subject of our conversation, but his question and words forever touched my heart.

Was I embarrassed? No. But I WAS interested. Interested in finding out exactly what God had said in His Word about...well...all kinds of things. It was really the first time I can remember that my long-time thinking had been challenged on that kind of level. The first time that I realized, that something we might have read our whole life could have deeper significance than we take the time to notice.

That's how God's Word is...
it's deeper and more significant
than Christians (in general) take the time to know.

Years later...here I was...in a small hospital room, thinking about how little Christmas is celebrated for what it actually is. And how...God attempts to put it into perspective for us, if only we will listen. If we will be more interested in the Christ in Christmas, instead of the "me" & "us".

There's nothing like your dehydrated baby in a metal crib at the hospital, near Christmastime, to refreshen your perspective!

Lukie is home now and very slowly recovering. He's very weak. And our family is tired. But I thank God for the virus, because, as crazy as it may sound...that nasty virus may have built our immunities up against something much worse, leaving us strong enough to bypass an even nastier sickness.

And once again, I see God's love and faithfulness for me and for my family.
That's what Christmas is about. God's love for us. He sent...not thought about...not allowed, but SENT, His Son, Jesus, to be born. To live as we live. And to die as we in human form will die. With Christ being the exception in this way...He lived a sinless life, and He died a death no other would ever know. But the immeasurable love part is that "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

We've dealt with sickness this week. And Heaven knows, we're feeling like it's our new routine...sickness! But Christmas is about how God has a purpose in the sickness...He has a purpose in our lives. Our everyday lives. And no matter what we deal with, Jesus was born.

Christmas is our joy and our hope!

By the way...there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying gifts for your children, your family, and your friends at Christmas...so long as you remember the most important gift of all.

God Bless You!
And may you have a meaningful and Merry...CHRISTmas!