Grandpa’s Christmas Insecurities
A Christmas letter about insecurity and family.
I’m not old enough to be a Grandpa, right? Certainly, my friends would agree, wouldn’t they? Nevertheless, I find myself already with two granddaughters and a grandson on the way. How thrilling! This brings great excitement, but can also bring insecurities. Insecurities over their future health, their faith in God, and the trials they’ll face will no doubt be different than what their grandma and grandpa faced.
I remember learning to ride my first bicycle by using training wheels. To be honest, those training wheels were no security at all! In fact, I still fell. As my kids got their first bike, I remember being creative and raising the training wheels up slightly, so the bike would wobble more giving them less security, yet a greater margin from which to learn.
With the Christmas season here, there are many insecurities that go far beyond learning to ride one’s first bike. We all have friends or acquaintances who have lost a parent, spouse, or sibling. The loneliness they must be feeling compels us all to take notice. Or, what about the person that just lost their job, the one that can barely find enough money to make ends meet or the one who feels rejected because their spouse of many years walked out on them?
While these unexpected insecurities no doubt created growth, they are certainly not as trivial as my first bike ride. Instead, they beckon the love and attention from friends and loved ones who will hear the cries. Perhaps this is a good time for an unexpected phone call, letter of encouragement, or invitation for someone to join your family for Christmas.
While insecurity on one’s first bike can lead to great freedom and growth, many this season have too much wobble room already and need the support and love of others around them, instead of more insecurity. May you be that security for someone this Christmas and New Year’s season. After all, someone much greater than us stepped down into our world to provide even greater security than we can offer, the one we call Christ, who is found in Christmas.