Left With My Thought's

Memories....
What an incredible gift God created for mankind when he gave us the ability to remember.
Memories take us back...
Take us back to good times....
And times that maybe weren't so good.
It really is like the photo above....memories are like going back down a long straight stretch of highway in our minds....
Memories are not bound by time or space, but are simply snippets and snapshots we have stored away in our noggins.
This time of year always stirs my memories up and they come spilling over in waves of pictures and thoughts.
Christmas memories......

Cedar trees....
Dad and I always went into the woods to cut our tree...
"Buy a tree? Never!" was my dad's motto.
Cutting the tree down and getting it into the stand to be decorated was the only "job" my dad did when it came to Christmas. I don't ever remember him helping to decorate the tree.
When I think of decorating the tree, my mom is as clear in my memory as this room I sit in.
Two things were always present on the night the tree was decorated....
Cashews and orange slices....
Don't ask me why, it was just my mom's most favorite candy in the world.
Now when I speak of orange slices, I'm talking about those "jellied" candy in the shape of an orange slice that was covered in sugar sprinkles...We always had those on the night the tree was put up in the Bynum household.

I don't want you to get the wrong impression about my dad. He was a little kid when it came to Christmas. In fact, whenever I watch "CHRISTMAS STORY" Darrin McGavin's character was a lot like my dad. Gruff....colorful...and wanted his two boys to have a special Christmas each year. My dad usually worked 2nd or 3rd shift at Republic Steel...so if he was on 2nd, Christmas came early to the Bynum house. I'm talking like 2:30 or 3 a.m.
I can't tell you the number of Christmas mornings I was awakened to my dad yelling out at the top of his lungs....."Get up! Get up! I've caught him...I've caught Santa! Hurry...hurry.....get up!" You know, that's enough to give a young boy a heart attack....my own dad...abducting Santa right there in our own home.

My most vivid Christmas memory was from 1957, the year my brother got his RCA High Fidelity Stereo Record Player. Dude...I thought we had finally arrived..music for the Bynum household. Along with the record player, there were two albums....Bobby Darrin's Mack The Knife and Tennessee Ernie Ford's Star Carol. You have to remember that our Christmas started early, early, early..
So my dad, in his infinite wisdom (and who knows for what reason) raised the windows to our living room....(it's only 20-something degrees), placed the speakers in the window...put on the Tennessee Ernie Ford's album and commenced to play "Joy To The World" as loud as the thing would play. My dad went outside in the yard, and with the strains of that wonderful carol echoing up and down the valley of our community, stood there conducting an unseen orchestra. "Y'all come out here and listen to this!" My mother was mortified as lights from the neighboring houses came on one by one. I'm sure that those poor souls  thought that Jesus had come back! That was my dad.

Then there was the Church Christmas supper. That was such a special time for me. Everyone dressed up in their best. Gathering in the fellowship hall, candles everywhere....Nancy Lutes playing carols on the piano as folks milled around talking and laughing. These people were my second family. Most of them have passed on but I'm telling you they made an indelible impression on me. To me Christmas has never really been about the presents....it truly is about celebrating the birth of the Christ child. Christmas is simply being with family and friends.

Now I'm a grand father...
This time of year of I am filled with such memories of Christmas times that I am so very grateful.
On the 24th, I will once again stroll out into my neighborhood before midnight. Been doing this for many years. I don't know if you know this or not, but I have found that Christmas eve is the quietest night of the year. You don't hear any traffic.....no one is out moving around.....if you stand outside and close your eyes to listen....now I mean really listen....it is as though God himself has commanded everyone and every thing to be silent in honor of His Son's birth.

Next weekend my kids will be coming home.
Chad, Robin, Tyler and Ashley...
Josh and Heather along with the newest addition....Baxter, their dog.
Vicki will fix up a feast worthy of the finest royalty.
We'll break out the "Christmas" dishes and set a table that would rival the finest five star restaurant.
There will be ample portions of laughter and love, around that table.
And once again we'll tell our stories...not so much for our benefit as it is for the grand kids....They love to hear stories about their dad and uncle Josh growing up.
I do love Christmas....
To those of you out there who have grown up and become weary from the daily battles.....refresh yourself by seeing Christmas differently this year. Choose to lay down all the hoopla that our society and culture uses to define what Christmas is and isn't....and love. Love someone.....smile at every stranger you meet and wish them a "Merry Christmas!" Put an extra dollar in the Salvation Army kettle and thank that person ringing the bell for their service. If you see a policeman or fireman....nurse or EMT...thank them and wish them a merry Christmas.
Say and extra prayer for your Pastor, asking that God would grant him great grace and mercy to bring the Word in the coming year.
I guess I've rambled enough...
Merry Christmas from the "B's" in Attalla....
Michael and Vicki.....

God on you....
mb