Christmas Cards in February

The routine was always the same.
Breakfast with my paternal grandparents in Orlando, Florida. The grandkids called them "Nana and Dendy." They were the epitome of Southern hospitality, class and etiquette. I cannot ever remember my grandfather, The Reverend Dr. Marshall C. Dendy, Sr. in anything but a shirt and tie and suit. Nana always in a dress. And the breakfast routine was always the same. Fresh cut grapefruit halves sat in beautiful fine china bowls having just been picked 20 minutes earlier by their grandson who loved to climb the fruit trees in the backyard. Grapefruit spoons sat just to the right of the bowls.

Eating was about to commence but first the blessing.  But before the blessing, out came the Christmas cards. Nana or Dendy would reach into a basket and grab two or three of the Christmas cards they had received from the previous Christmas. They would open them, read the note, call the sender by name and then look at each other and give a knowing smile. They would then turn to me and share how they knew the sender of the Christmas card. The next day the same thing would happen all over again. And so the breakfast routine continued with the Christmas cards each morning until they ran out of cards.

At the saying of the blessing Nana and Dendy would pray for the people in the Christmas card. What a great way to keep the joy of friendship and the spirit of Christmas last all year long. Every year they would receive well over 400 hundred Christmas cards. And they prayed for these 400 hundred families all year long.

Last night I finally sat down and went through all of our Christmas cards. What a rewarding experience. How blessed am I to be touched by so many wonderful friends and family members. With each card or family photograph my mind, in an instant would relive how our lives had intersected and how our lives were still connected.

Some cards were from people I have known for 49 years. Some from people I have known for less than one year. High school classmates, College friends, parishioners from Augusta, Georiga, Houston,Texas and Klamath Falls, Oregon, and friends picked up along the way through ministry, consulting and University life. My life is rich with people I love and people who love me.

My only regret is that it would take more than a full time job to stay in touch with my friends in the way that I would really like to. I hope they understand...

My iWitness...

I have heard it said that people come into your life for a reason, a season or for a lifetime. Well, whatever the reason, season or lifetime, I say, "Friends are a blessing from the Lord and I thank God for each of you that I have the privilege of calling friend."

Thank you for blessing my life in ways unimaginable!

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15. 13)

Thank you for laying down your life long enough to be my friend. Please know what a joy it is and has been for me to lay down my life even for just a moment to be yours...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and fear not!
David!