Please read Philippians 1:3-11, Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi.
This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God.
Change isn’t easy. For thirty-nine years, I taught English and social studies to middle school students. As teaching tools changed from blackboards and chalk to computers and smart boards, I was forced to change with them! When my students would tease me with the adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” I would counter with the idea that we “old dogs” couldn’t be taught new tricks because we already knew ALL of them! One thing I did know for certain. Keeping up with constant change was going to be rough on this old dog!
My mother had lost her battle with cancer in 1997; nothing could change that, but someone who helped me navigate changes in my life was my friend, Sunday school classmate, fellow chorister, and mother confessor, Mary Dial! Mary and I had not always been close, but when she was in a collision and needed a ride to church, I offered to give her a lift! After all, she lived two blocks from my house, and the arrangement would be only until she got her car back!
Then she decided it would be best if she didn’t drive anymore! That was really hard on her because she was used to coming and going when she wanted. It was extremely hard on me because I was used to coming and going when I wanted! But she needed me. Little did I know that I needed her, too.
As weeks turned into years, I took the Locust Street, Norway Avenue, Greenoak route to choir practices, church services, Super Bowl parties, Christmas parties, Young at Heart luncheons, and Marshall concerts! But the tradeoff was in the therapy sessions that took place in my car! She would ask how my week was going, and my tirade would begin. She would listen, commiserate, and then quietly talk me off the ledge.
Eventually I moved from the neighborhood. Mary’s family and the church van drivers took over; there were fewer rides and shorter conversations. Then the isolation of the Covid Pandemic and health concerns kept us apart completely. On November 12, 2021, her daughter, Terrie, was kind enough to message me that Mary had passed away.
I know that this sounds more like a eulogy than a devotional, but Mary was an example of what Advent is all about! She was thankful for all that she had been given! She loved everyone she met from the Walnut Hills bus driver to her great-grandson. I think what impressed me most about Mary was her youthfulness and her ability to keep an open mind. She rarely became “preachy” or judgmental. She loved being with people, learning about them, and listening to them! Just as Paul hoped in the above scripture, she learned that love became richer as she gained knowledge and insight. Then she passed it on to her family and friends. I thank God that I was one.
Dear God, thank you for your son, Jesus Christ. As we enter the season celebrating his birth, help us to remember that we know “the rest of the story,” that the baby will grow into a man whose message is clear: love one another. Thank you also for those who have helped us cope in a changing world and have shared with us love that has become richer through knowledge and insight. We ask this in your name. Amen
Becky Warren
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