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Christmas was a wonderful day for Gale and I.  We made our usual round visiting the grandchildren and enjoying the lovely gifts they received.  I even had the joy of getting out and helping Addy learn how to use her BB gun; just because we have a bunch of girls does not mean that all the new toys have to be for indoor use only.  It was a great day to remember how God has blessed us as a family and provided us with eternal hope through Jesus Christ.

We have a tradition that we have followed for quite awhile that allows us to drag our celebration beyond December 25.  A week or so after Christmas we gather at our house as a family, share a meal, and Gale and I give each of the kids and grandkids a small gift to unwrap.  The gifts are simple and inexpensive, but we all have a good time with one more opportunity to celebrate before the tree and all the decorations come down until next Christmas. 

Included among the simple gifts that we gave was a package of four bathtub toys for Raegan—Baby Sharks.  It is amazing that after having received lots of other things with much more monetary value, that four dollars worth of plastic fish was priceless to her.  She led me to the bathroom and I put water in the tub as the two of us stood beside it and watched the little critters float around.  What a great reminder of how valuable and memorable the simplest things can be when enjoyed with those we love.

Among the goals that we set for this brand new year that we have embarked upon, we would do well to determine to keep life a little less complicated than we have in the past and take time to enjoy more of the small things in life.  The picture of a sixty-one year old man and a two year old little girl leaning over the side of a bath tub playing with four plastic fish is not likely to make it to any national headlines, but moments like that are recorded deep in the heart where they will remain as a cherished treasure for life.

As we face 2020 with all the unknowns that it holds and the untapped potential that it contains, we need to remember that God wants each of us to rest assured that He is there for us.  I was reminded of that through some information that I received several weeks ago from a mortgage company.  The advertisement started with the statement:  “Home buying as it should be.”  That was followed by the promise that “We’re here to make your experience less worrisome and more rewarding every step of the way.”  Then it concluded with this:  “We can help you!”  I am not currently in the market for such services as they were offering, but that last statement caught my attention:  “We can help you!”  That reminds me that God is available to help us all along life’s way.  Our part is to trust Him!

Never get so involved with the complicated things of life that you forget the joy of the simple things—like experiencing the thrill of a two year old playing with toy fish.  And always remember that God is there to help you as you trust in Him.  These words from Isaiah 51:6 are worth keeping hidden in your heart as you make your way through the new year:  “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies.  But My salvation will last forever, My righteousness will never fail” (New International Version).  So simple, yet so valuable!