A surprise that no one would welcome!

A  surprise that no one would welcome!

As I prepare to write my next article my wife and I must hold our breath for a while as the house we were living in caught fire.  Everyone got out safely including four cats, my daughter and her husband.  Living in a hotel as a temporary quarters.  This is not meant to ask for monetary help since the insurance is covering everything, including the hotel expense.  I do ask for your prayers as there are some who struggle with the old cliche of, “Why?”  

Christmas is a time of understanding why God sent his Son on Christmas is the very reason we are out of a house, losing all our furniture with the remodeling of the house, and praising God’s grace for our lives which cannot be replaced, but everything else can.  Sometimes it takes a disaster to wake many people up and see that the Incarnation of God’s Son came to give us a path to the Trinity. 

If I was to preach a homily on the gift we find under the crib will thank God for the same tree that held his Son at Calvary.  Prepare the way of the Lord with his Love that has our names on it and to find a reason for forgiveness. 

One thing this occurrence reminded me of is the many people in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and other areas that may still be waiting for the help from FEMA.  Their tragedy is many times worse than ours.  We pray for help for the many who sleep in the cold, no water, electricity, and food or transportation.  This is Christmas with a shroud of disbelief yet God is aware of their crisis as well.  Allow your Christmas prayers to be for all of them who are asking, “Why?”

Ralph B. Hathaway