I have thought for the past 48 hours about how to properly express my thoughts about my family’s Joyous Christmas. As I sit here next to my father, I personally can not think of a more beautiful Christmas other than my daughter’s first. And in a much similar way this Christmas as that Christmas I have the opportunity to celebrate by the sides of the one’s that I love. Sixteen years ago, I celebrated Annika’s first Christmas with my beautiful wife. Eleven months prior to that first Christmas I received two gifts greater than I deserved. Through a miracle only planned by God I celebrated a Christmas with my wife and precious daughter. I will never forget those words uttered by the doctor the minutes after Annika was born, “I need all the nurses to gather around and see what we have here. You will not see this again in your career where the mother and daughter survive.” At that time, I did not truly understand what he meant. This Christmas those few words carry a greater weight. December is easily my busiest month as a music educator and church musician. This year was no different. On Monday, December 8, I received a call from my mom. She informed that during my father’s regular cardiologist appointment, the physician discovered some abnormalities. On Monday evening, I had a rehearsal for the next day’s concert. On Tuesday, my father had more tests run, and it was decided that he needed to meet with a surgeon on Friday of that week. I tried so hard to stay focused on the concert, but my mind was over three hours south of Germantown. Every moment that I had free, my heart and mind were in Madison, MS. Thursday evening was another concert, and Friday was a day filled with concerts. It was on Friday that I learned my father would have open heart surgery. One of my earliest memories as a child was my grandfather’s death following his open heart surgery. My family left Memphis on a Sunday to drive to Canton so my father could return to work the next day. On the way home, his father passed. When we walked into the house, the old black circular dial telephone was ringing. My father answered the call, and that moment was the first time I saw my father cry. To this day he says “Mr. Rayburn died in 1974.” After Thursday’s exams, I left for Mississippi to see my father to the operating room on Friday, December 19. My family and I then waited. We spoke with the surgeon who gave us great news. He had a double by-pass. He was well and would have a great recovery. He had another blocked artery, but being on the back of his heart, it was inoperable. His recovery was more than we could ask for, and he even came home a day early. As a result, my entire family celebrated Christmas together (for us that is Christmas Eve). My mother cooking the same Christmas breakfast including homemade biscuits, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs. We then gathered around the tree and shared our gifts. We shared in our joyous Christmas. The point of this long and wandering post is that while the grandchildren celebrated their gifts and while my brother received his yearly gifts of MSU attire, I again received my yearly gifts of Ole Miss attire. (Somehow being an alumnus equates being a fan.) While we were celebrating our material gifts, we were sitting with greatest intangible gift: LIFE. My father, wife and daughter are all three miracles of God whether by His hand with Darlene and Annika or by the hands of Dr. Horsely. For a few moments during the sharing of gifts my father became emotional and while fighting back tears said, “I am so glad to be here especially when Dr. Horsely said I might not.” To me, that moment was the precipice of the three greatest Christmases of all time. Christmas to me now has three great miracles: the birth of Christ, the Christmas of 1998 and the Christmas of 2014. So from my family to yours I wish you a Joyous and Merry Christmas. I know that my family is extremely fortunate to not suffer loss this year. We are blessed beyond our measure. All of us have healthy children. Darlene and I have healthy parents. All of us are employed. We are fortunate this Christmas to celebrate LIFE. I pray for those who have lost loved ones this year and celebrated their first Christmas without them. In the past, we have suffered through that emptiness. It is a completely empty feeling that no Christmas pie or hug can fill. Only time, friends and prayer can fill that void. To all of our friends, students, students’ parents, fellow worshippers, and family, thank you for the prayers for my family and especially my father this holiday season. They have been answered so that we can celebrate LIFE. Romans 15:13 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. Merry Christmas
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 02:20:21 +0000
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