Faithfully yours - A Christmas turning point

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Published on Sunday, December 10, 2017

By Neil Strohschein

Neepawa Banner & Press

Several years ago, as Christmas was getting close, my wife gave me a piece of advice that I have never forgotten. At the time, I was going through a series of flashbacks—looking back on some of the “moments in time” I wish, to this day, that I could relive—because I would certainly have handled them differently than I did at the time.

I thought of all the cruel words I had spoken—words I could never take back; choices I made that seemed right at the time but were later proven to be the opposite; and painful experiences I would just as soon not have had to go through. On this day, they all seemed to crowd into my mind at the same time and my wife (the intuitive soul that she is) picked up on it.

I cannot repeat the exact words that she said—they related to one specific issue. But I can tell you what her words meant—“Don’t spend so much time grieving over the past that you fail to properly appreciate what you have right now.” Those are words I have never forgotten.

They helped me realize just how fortunate I have been and continue to be; and how much God has invested in my life, even though I have not always been one of his star children.

I am blessed to be part of three families—my immediate family, the community in which I live and (most importantly) the family of God. Each family is unique. My immediate family is about as diverse as families can get. We have rural folk and city folk; old and young; white collar and blue collar—but none of those labels matter to us. We are just a group of ordinary people who try to treat others the way we want to be treated and who, for the most part, do that very well.

I have been part of the community in which I live for almost 20 years and I could not be happier living here. We have access to all the core services that we need. We are close enough to larger centers to enable us to access specialists and other services when necessary. Personally, I have no desire to live in the big city. I am quite happy where I am and I plan to stay here.

The past 15 years have given me a new appreciation for the vast diversity to be found in the family of God. We are even more diverse than the most diverse human family. We worship in different languages. We follow different forms of worship (litanies). Some of us observe seven sacraments, some two and some none at all. We are governed in different ways. But there are two things that tie us together—our love for God and our faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer and Lord. These things make us part of the greatest family in all creation—the family of God.

As Christmas draws near, my appreciation for my families is also growing. I am thankful to God for my immediate family, for those who govern and serve in my community and for the many friends I have made in the many churches I have served in the past 20 years. You are the greatest gifts I could ever have been given and I thank God every day for all of you.

I wish you a holiday season filled with peace, joy and love—and pray that you will always be surrounded by people who care.