Sitting transfixed in front of the black and white, I watched four mop-heads singing “All My Loving.”

 It’s probably safe to say there might be a few boomers that don’t remember the sixties, but most do. The Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast live from Studio 50 in NYC, is etched in my mind as clear as the Kennedy assassination a few years before. By the way, I was in study hall wearing my boots were made for walk-in’ when the news of the President’s death sounded over the intercom.

I thought the Brits had something to be proud of as I sat cross-legged in front of the T.V. watching the Fab Four in ‘64. The Beatles’ over-the-top music arrangements and simple lyrics rang out in our living room, across continents, and changed the world; or at least, the music industry.

In America, “Beatle mania” impinged on restless youth trapped by the uncertainties of the Vietnam Conflict. As far as I was concerned, the movie “Good Morning, Vietnam,” starring Robin Williams, was the only good thing that came out of a disturbing era.

The simple lyrics of “All You Need Is Love” became life-model aspirations of many 20th-century youths. Some thought the mop-top musicians, who claimed in ‘67, “What we need is love, love, all we really need is love...” were ahead of their time. They weren’t. They were just in time to claim their part in changing a confused culture.

Jesus didn’t start his ministry carrying sheet music and a guitar, although people sang and cried for joy at his words. He didn’t have a T.V. broadcast, podcast, or blog to promote His message of love—no cell phones either. He had His Father in Heaven, twelve great friends, and the backing of Angels. His message was also simple. Through faith, God offers His love to humanity through salvation and the gift of eternal life.

Jesus put deliverance from sin on the map; albeit the earth. He not only preached the Good News—believe in Him and love others—through His words, but also powerfully showed the Good News through His actions. How did He get it so right—through love, that’s how. Jesus’ self-sacrificing love communicated deep feelings for us. Through His sacrifice, we have been given a fantastic knowledge of God’s enduring presence in our lives—now that is true love. His simple message was clear and straightforward. It is everlasting and is still heard across continents.

For some, “What we need is love, love, all we really need is love...” is still as à propos as it was over two thousand years ago. His love is easy to find. Simply open His Word in faith and seek Him. Pray to Him. He will meet where you are at and fill your heart and life with His love. Who could want anything more this Valentine’s Day than to be given the gift of love that lives forever in your heart?

Verse(s) of Month: —Ephesians 5:1-2

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Are there as many New Year resolutions floating around the universe as there is space trash?

 

As Father Time marched toward the mystical abyss, I failed to shout out into the cosmos a New Year’s resolution. Did the old man bid a fond a-do to 2020 or wipe the sweat from his brow because the year was over? Either way, I’m not burying a time capsule in his remembrance. He left us with a diapered toddler waddling around wearing a top hat with a 2021 banner strapped across his chest. I sure hope the tot’s first stop will be in Washington to hand out pacifiers.

Although going into this year resolution-less, I intend to make the most of it. Gone are the days absorbed in paper product shortages. No longer do I care about fiber-density if it gets the job done? I will blur from my mind the concept of wrapping the world in “strong and ever so soft” four-ply. I wonder, is it even possible to absorb the mess 2020 left behind? God’s unfailing grace will cover me with His strength and wisdom when I reach for an extra roll of paper product at the grocery. 

No matter what 2021 may bring, it is important to stand steadfast as witnesses to the truth of God’s promises and power. We can join others in performing acts of kindness and generosity. We can show others that God is the way, the truth, and the life by the way we live. With the time we have, we can search out opportunities to share God’s mighty plan that delivers humanity from the power of sin. In a nutshell, what Satan intends for evil, our Father in Heaven, has purposed for good. Nothing can diminish God’s truth, steal our joy from glorifying Him, or take away the hope and trust we have in the Almighty.

So, let the fictitious Old Man Time go where he will. Let the New Year Baby tip his top hat to renewal. We have a never-ending, living God, faithful in all circumstances, no matter the time of day or the calendar year. Let’s count every tick of the clock a blessing as we walk hand in hand into the New Year with God’s Son, Jesus.

Happy New Year.

Verse(s) of Month: Ephesians 1:7-10 NIV

“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

 

While we were unwrapping Christmas ornaments; Dad was in the garage searching for rope.

One Christmas Season, long, long ago, our family stopped at a downtown Christmas tree lot to purchase a tree for the approaching Holiday. There were bright fairy lights strung around the periphery, enticing passersby to pause and browse. Today, I suppose we call them pop-ups. Whether name or time in history, both follow the same premise; to make the season merry and bright. Being a child, I knew stopping at a Christmas tree lot was the first step in bringing Christmas magic and family traditions to life. Getting the tree was the start of fulfilling Christmas dreams.

I remember how it took Dad forever to parallel-park in front of the lot that year. Impatient, four children wiped the breathy fog from the backseat windowpanes. Soon our noses were flat against the old Lincoln windows so we could see all the shapes and sizes of the trees. Our eyes skimmed the conifers. Of course, we over-talked each other’s suggestions of which tree would be the perfect one to take home. Dad told us to be quiet, or the kids would go home without a tree. (What’s not funny about picturing Mom standing on the curb as Dad drives away with misbehaving youngsters in tow? Of course, in my imagination, mom would see us waving out the rearview window with tears in our eyes.) I muffled laughter in my mittens.

Once released from the automobile, the smell of evergreens seeped up our cold, runny noses. We knew the smell of pine would soon fill our home with the essence of Christmas. I saw Dad blowing his warm breath into his cupped palms to keep frostbite away. Mom kept folding her coat tighter around her middle. I could tell the hunt for the perfect tree was going to be short-lived. Soon, we spotted a bluish-green needled Scotch pine. It looked perfect in its snow-covered costume under the bright lights. On the way home, the sound of enthusiastic kids singing Christmas Carols off-key occupied the car. And, on top of the car, lay the tree strapped snug to the roof.

Dad placed the tree in a roughcast iron tree-stand in the living room corner near the front window. Our heads tilted right as we gazed at it. Without a word, Dad grabbed his jacket and dashed to the garage. He came back, shivering from the Midwest weather, but successful in his quest to save the disparaging tree. In his hand was a long piece of heavy twine. We watched him wrap it around the tree’s crooked spine and pull it to its most upright position. Mom gave Dad a thumbs up when she thought the tree was straight as it was going to get. Dad wrapped the end of the rope around the latch on the window sash and the tree, in all its pine glory, was ready for adornment. We finished decorating the tree by tossing silver tinsel from the top green bough to its bottom branches. When the lights came on, we clapped at our handiwork. We gazed upon our glittering, imperfect tree and loved it.

When I think back on past Christmases, I find I hold the imperfect Christmases as the most meaningful. As a youth, that misshapen tree became a fond remembrance. It could never compete with the storyline of today’s Left Alone, ELF, or A Charlie Brown Christmas, but it became our story. Besides, if every Christmas were perfect, how could we appreciate the uniqueness of Christmases past?

We can praise God we have Jesus to make our imperfections perfect through a life of sanctification. He will continue working through us during this pandemic and beyond. We won’t have to worry about any bend in our core because He makes our paths straight. As His children, we can light up the world brighter than any tree lot. Adorned with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, we can live our lives by faith in the Son of God, whether we stay inside our homes or go outdoors.

Faith and hope are a means for us in ending this year strong and upright. The Lord is our strength and protector. That will never change. Happy Birthday, Jesus—and to those reading this writing, may God’s love shine bright through you and yours this Christmas Season and in the forthcoming year. 

Verse of the Month: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV.