On Christmas morning of 2020, our friend, husband, Dad and author of the Foggy Point Light series shared the paragraph below on this blog. For those of us who loved and knew Jeff, either in person or on paper, remembers how much he loved “everything” about Christmas. The front yard decorations, the most fascinating collection of lighthouses and sci-fi Christmas ornaments displayed on rotating Christmas trees, and his endless entertaining repertoire of Christmas carols, both known selections and spontaneous ones. But in this paragraph penned on Christmas day of 2020, Jeff really shares what his solid love of Christmas was really about and he gives us a three word message for Christmas of 2022.
“It’s Christmas morning. The presents are still under the tree, the smell of the Christmas ham cooking in the oven wafts in from the kitchen, and everything is peaceful. It’s at this time that we can take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Even though his birth took place over 2000 years ago, we can still take comfort in the fact that his presence can still be felt in the world even today, especially this year. “
Did you see the three words? Jeff first shares his very strong faith in the birth of his Savior Jesus Christ and affirms the comfort he received in his relationship with the Savior through the Holy Spirit. He also proclaimed that the presence can still be felt even 2000 years after the birth of Jesus. Jeff was sharing his testimony in this post.
But what about those three words… “especially this year.” The testimony could have ended at “today.” Jeff was impressed to write the three extra words because of world events in 2020. But those three words attached to Jeff’s testimony are even more important this year. As we know Jeff is in Heaven as of January 3rd, 2022. “Especially this year” is a good reminder to us who loved and knew Jeff that we take comfort in knowing without a doubt that he is with the Lord.
Those three words are also an invitation to anyone reading this blog to make sure that you have invited Jesus into your heart by asking him to forgive you of your sins and accepting him as your Lord and Savior. (Learn more at www.peacewithgod.net)
As for family and friends of Jeff who we enormously loved, he is reminding us in our grief to keep the joy in our Christmas celebration of Jesus’s birth, “especially this year”. Let us embrace Jeff’s three words!
A prayer for Christmas:
Dear God,
Help us not to lose our hold on Christ this Christmas. Teach us again to remember that the baby in the manger is the man on the cross and the man on the cross is the Lord of the empty tomb and the Lord of the empty tomb is the one who is Lord of eternity. We bring our prayer in the name of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Amen.
“From 40 Prayers for Christmas” by David Clowes
Video memory of Jeff singing “The Birthday of a King”. https://youtu.be/Hs0zUqRCUeA?t=219
Foggy Point Light Blog 