This year we had the entire immediate family together for the Christmas holiday. Each family member was present and appreciated. We spread a blanket on the family room floor and enjoyed our Nazarene dinner (foods like Jesus would have eaten) for Christmas Eve, and everybody contributed.
Grandpa Stucki vicariously delivered the Christmas story with the family through a digital recording (8 min 30 sec into the recording). In his closing remarks, he shares the following quote by Patrick Henry: "I have now disposed of all of my property to my family. There is one more thing I wish that I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one shilling, they would have been rich. And if they had not that and I had given them all the world, they would be poor."
The abundance we have been blessed with is obvious both in worldly property and faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ in the Christian religion to guide us through our lives. So indeed, we are rich. We must stop and recognize from what source we receive so many blessings. The Lord has seen us through good times and difficult times.
One more highlight this year was that I received an afghan from Granny that she had given me many years ago one particular Christmas when worldly possessions were scarce for a time. The Salt Lake City house hadn't sold and thousands of dollars had been spent to purchase and develop the farm, so the Christmas of 1976 was scarce. That year she promised me an afghan which she had been working on. This year she fulfilled that promise as she spent two months and a great deal of effort completing the gift despite her arthritic hands. So in appreciation for these blessings, I thought I would share again the story of our first Christmas in Castle Valley:
We moved to southern Utah to a new farming community and began developing the land, digging a well, building roads, fences, out sheds, and of course a house. The log cabin structure was new to us and the skilled labor included Grandpa and most of the boys in the family. Our home in SLC didn’t sell right away and our funds were running short, but to us children we were in the country, raising farm animals, and connecting as a family like we never otherwise could.
We worked and played throughout the summer, but when school started we found ourselves still living in the bunkhouse/tent structure nestled in the trees of the farm. Our well was dug up on the main level of land closer to the pastures, but we did run a pipe down to a hydrant near the bunkhouse. That made access to water from our living quarters much easier and became my shower where I could run cold water over my head before catching the bus and going to school each day. The fall weather brought cooler temperatures, so we hastened our building efforts. It would be so nice if we could get into our new home before Christmas.
Granny would read to us at night, since there was really nothing else we could do, because we didn’t have electricity and lights or buildings yet wherein we could find shelter and warmth. Instead, we huddled together in the bunkhouse while Granny read from House of Many Rooms, a story about a family out in the country doing all the things we hoped for, dreamed for, and worked and sacrificed for. We would lie in our sleeping bags on the bunks or huddle around the electric heater to keep warm and listen to Granny’s calming voice resonate the dream for which we had given up everything else. I remember one evening as Granny read, somebody yelled “The drape is on fire!” and sure enough the heater had become too close to the material and caught the drape on fire which was hung to divide the room to provide some measure of privacy. It was quickly extinguished but made for an exciting evening and a memorable story. I dreamed for the days when our newly-planted trees would bear the fruit we would use to make peach and apple pies. I longed for the time when our efforts on the farm would produce pork and chicken and beef and berries...it was almost too much to think about. Well, we did get the roof on and that little log cabin opened up into an enormous house for us when compared to the tent-like structure we had been living in. The plumbing and electricity were not all finished yet, so the first showers we took in the home were from warmed pans of water from the stove dumped on our heads while we stood in the shower stall, but it was delightful and heavenly. I remember thinking I hadn’t had a real shower for months. It was so nice, and we giggled and mused that we had it so good. We were used to lots of presents, even though we had a big family (eight children) by worldly standards. But we knew our parents were giving us something money could not buy, and they were doing their very best. At the time, there were many from Salt Lake that said we were crazy, but Granny and Grandpa were undeterred and moved forward. The house continued to grow and near completion. Grandpa built all the outside doors, completed the wiring and plumbing, and that was just the first year we lived there. Over the next thirty or so years we lived on the farm, our wildest imaginations became realities. And we are now all recipients of the many blessings so abundantly awarded us.
What can we learn from all this? I have drawn many lessons from the experiences I have had in Castle Valley and my growing up years, but just two I will mention now include 1) the Lord will not forsake us. Though we face many challenges, if we align our lives and actions with Him, we will be able to overcome the hardships of the present time. I think back now and marvel at what Granny and Grandpa accomplished and the risk that they took in behalf of our family. The lessons I learned there have served me well throughout my life and continue to strengthen me through the obstacles of our day. 2) This is part of the great plan of happiness of which we are all part. It requires effort and hard work. But the rewards today in this life are many. And the eternal reward for those who endure to the end is indescribable. 1 Corinthians 2:9
You will continue this legacy and testimony in your homes with your families and your accomplishments and happiness will far exceed your wildest dreams. I have no doubt. Thank the Lord for the many blessings you have of home, family, security, abundance, happiness, and love. The greatest gift we can give you is to acquaint you with His Son and live exemplary lives as a testimony of what He did. Jesus Christ is the source of all happiness, joy, and hope.
It is through Him that you will obtain your greatest joys!
Romans 8:35-39
2 Nephi 19:6
1 John 4:9
We love you,
Mother and Dad
No comments:
Post a Comment