One of my most memorable Christmases was the year we spent it in Council Grove, Kansas. I think I was around 9 or 10 years old. My parents, siblings, and I traveled that year to share the holiday with my grandparents and aunt & uncle. We were the only grandchildren (and nieces and nephew) on that side of the family, so it was just as special to them to have us there.
I am the oldest of three children, and we were still at the ages where gifts under the tree got our attention. We knew Christmas was about more than gifts, but you couldn’t convince us to diminish our excitement over those shiny wrapped packages.
Christmas morning arrived. The gifts were all unwrapped. And, we began admiring and playing with all our new items. And then my aunt walked out with another gift (one for both my sister and me)…this one unwrapped. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen…an “adoptable doll” made to look similar to me…brown hair, brown eyes, pink dress (my favorite color), etc. I’m probably dating myself here, but adoptable dolls were around in the late seventies and very early eighties and were pretty much the pre-cursor to the Cabbage Patch Doll. They were similar in appearance. (I’ve included a picture of one – not mine – to give you an idea.)
My aunt handmade these dolls. And, she couldn’t wait to give my sister and me these little treasures. While I genuinely loved dolls, in general, my Aunt Jane and I were (she’s no longer living) also VERY close. So, to have something this beautiful that she made with her own hands was something I deeply cherished.
The doll disappeared later in my life through a series of tragic events. But the memory of that beautiful piece of handicraft and my sweet aunt remains.
I’ve had a lot of things and people “disappear” from life over the last four decades. I’m sure there were several that I’m glad went missing, but there were others that I cherished and yet still had to learn to live without.
I’ve struggled with abandonment before and the fear of being abandoned again. I’ve been hurt several times over, and I used to allow it to consume me. But, God did a mighty work in me in this area.
There’s a passage from Psalm 94 that reads beautifully in The Message:
How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right. ~Psalm 94:12-15
The 5th line is the one I zeroed in on…
God will never walk away from his people. Did you see that third word? NEVER! The means not ever!
Friends, God is who He says He is. When He gives a promise, He keeps it. Scripture reminds us that God can’t lie and He never changes. We can bank everything we own on the promises He gives us.
You could lose everything you own in a fire, tornado, or other disaster…God’s still there.
You could lose your family in a car accident…God’s still there.
You could lose your spouse through death or divorce…God’s still there.
You could lose your parents…God’s still there.
You could lose your job…God’s still there.
You could lose your faith…yes, even your faith…God’s still there.
This might be one of those days for you. Maybe you’re feeling abandoned. Or – maybe you’re suffering great loss. Maybe you’re extremely lonely or worried about something. You see no end in sight to your current misery. Friend…God’s still there, because He never walks away from His people.
The circumstances around you may change. God never does. Practice breathing in God’s promises and breathing out the very thing that has you bound. Even if you don’t feel like it. Keep doing it until God’s promises swallow your problems.