Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause

Larry with our grandson, Kellan! He has been blessed to look into the precious faces of nine grandchildren! Praise God!

...Peace on Earth Good Will to Men! Luke 2:14

As I dug through decorations this year, as usual, memories came from the boxes also. I pulled out a Santa and Mrs. Clause creamer and sugar bowl with and inscription on the bottom. It said Avon Collection 1983 which to most would mean little but it reminded me of one of the most difficult Christmas’ we ever had. I had taken on an Avon route and went door to door with my youngest daughter Mendy tagging along. I was selling all sorts of products from perfumes and lotions to Christmas decorations. I wasn’t much of a salesman but I did enjoy the people I met as well as being able to buy some things for us. But that isn’t why I remember the festive Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause. It was that year that “Peace on Earth” was hard to find in our lives.

On a cold December evening in 1983, I waited for Larry to come home knowing he was going to be late because of an eye appointment that he would go to right after work. I fixed supper as usual and we waited for him to come home. As I heard him pull into the driveway, I was anxious to find out about his appointment since he had been battling iritis for a few weeks but when he came through the door the look on his face told me that something terrible had happened. He quickly rushed me into the other room, as not to upset the kids, to tell me that the eye doctor had given him the horrible news that he was losing his sight and had very little time before he would be completely blind. The ashen look on his face told me that a death sentence couldn’t have been worse for him at that moment. I had never seen my strong husband that beaten, a crack in his armor I had never seen but I was looking at a broken man. For the next few days he could hardly get out of bed, paralyzed by this terrible prognosis. I remember sitting on the side of the bed praying for him, knowing that I could not help him but it had to be God. As the days, that December, dragged on, he had the constant reminder of his plight as his eyes were kept dilated in order to heal them. As he struggled to work, this was a constant reminder that very soon he would not be able to work to support his family, he seemed to be a man without hope.

I noticed a change had taken place, one day close to Christmas when he came to me with a verse that he had “happened” upon! It was in Romans which says:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

To this day I call it Larry's verse because I believe that was the beginning of healing for my dear husband, it wasn’t overnight but I believe the Lord saved him from blindness. I also know it was the beginning of him really seeing and trusting the Savior and recieving the hope that only God can give. These days he still has bouts with this eye condition but he believes, the remnants of the disease that threatened his eye sight serves to remind him of the hope he was given that day as God’s word spoke to him about trusting.

So if you come to my house you will see Mr. and Mrs. Clause sitting out where I can see them as a reminder of the most difficult and best Christmas we ever had and the glorious truth that our God gives hope and joy and peace as we trust Him.