THANKING GOD FOR CHRISTMAS

 

THANKING GOD FOR CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT, AND BEYOND

 

1Thessalonians [GW] 5:18-21 Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will in Christ Jesus that you do this. Don't put out the Spirit's fire. Don't despise what God has revealed. Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good.

 

  During WWII and the following “recovery years” money was as scarce than hen’s teeth., and people were desperate to take any job available to support their family. For Christmas, most of us kids received a fruit, small box of raisins or hard candy, and one toy of some sort, and were happy with it. Extended family gatherings were the best thing. My uncles and cousins, WWII combat survivors, were the greatest fun! Especially Uncle John Bullock as he kept everybody laughing with his wit . . . and consequently often embarrassed Helen, his wife.

  Most people didn’t have an automobile. I was 6 or 7 when I walked with the older boys to see a neighbor’s wonderful special Christmas gift, a “New used car.” While admiring, one of the older boys snuck a touch. Fearful that the man had seen, we ran home. The tel-a-neighbor communication system of that day could have gotten the news of disrespectful behavior home before we sped around the corner. We were thankful the dreaded message didn’t come as we were concerned it may affect our Christmas.

  I only knew one older boy that got an allowance. His father was an editor for one of the Baltimore newspapers and was transported to and from school in a chauffeured Chrysler. Most kids didn’t have money to buy gifts. If a gift could be gotten it would be for your Mom. I remember our elementary school teacher bringing oranges and boxes of cloves to make a smell-good thing to give to our moms to put in their clothing drawer. Years later I realized it was sacrificial expense for our teacher. Oranges in the winter were not normal fare. We sometimes got one (1!) in our stocking. Spices were not cheap.

  When I was 9-10 we moved from Hamilton to Dundalk. Then I began earning money selling newspapers on street cars, shining shoes on the sidewalk outside a local bar, mowing grass with a reel push mower, edging with an old butcher knife, weeding, shoveling snow, and other chores for neighbors. (Family work was family work, unpaid.)   

  A favorite winter job was tending coal furnaces for neighbors working night shift in the steel mills. I was quite good at “stoking and banking” so their wives didn’t wake up freezing in the middle of the night. The pay was great. I got a whole dime each time! In 2019 this would be about $1.50. “Big deal.” You say? The big deal was that kids did not have money then.

  It wasn’t long until a neighbor purchased a round screen TV for Christmas. He didn’t mind but his wife didn’t want a bunch of kids “traipsing in my house”, but the husband allowed us to “As long as you’re quiet and don’t step on my flowers ” to watch thru the window. His wife wasn’t happy about this arrangement either. Summer was best because pre-AC we could hear thru the window screen. Winter was a time of interpretation of body language and sometimes resulting in debates as to what the actors said.

  By the next cold season my brother Jim and I were weary of frostbite viewing so we asked Dad if we could get a TV. He smiled and responded “Sure. Earn, save, and buy one whenever you like.” It took a lot of hustling but we finally purchased a small Muntz tabletop TV. I think the cost was 97 dollars including the 1% sales tax, equivalent to over 1,300 dollars today. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_Muntz )  (One of the misconceptions about the Good Olde Days is that everything cost less. It did not, especially when considering lack of present-day features and the number of man-hours worked needed to purchase a number of items.)

  It was a wonderful life. The prevailing cultural attitude was gratefulness.

  With GI Generation determination, our nation prospered. Most acquired their own car and TV. AC came to theaters et al, and later became normal even for present day “poor and underprivileged”. Many people now spend more time in car and home “Doing their own thing.” The idea list of what is needed to live changed drastically.  

  Attitude, conversation and action on increasing, maintaining and securing wealth increased to point of now very much dominating society and the proliferation of storage businesses. Affluence brought with it neurosis and accompanying counseling and debt services. TV’s Dr. Phils soon playing an expansive role. Self-help and esteem books grew from almost none to fully stacked aisles.

  More and more, when they knew God, men glorified Him not as Adonai-jireh (Jehovah Provider), losing their sense of true gratefulness, and their hearts were darkened as they increasingly became vainglorious in their thinking. (Rom.1:20-21)

 

Lord, help us please. May we embrace the godly attitude of gratitude and gain Your Christ-mas peace. EBB4