Patty passed away Dec 19, two days before she and Kayla were due to arrive in Larkspur, CO and mom was to arrive a few days later for what has turned out to be our Christmas tradition.
After Patty’s passing, we made a promise to each other – even though we may be sadden by this loss, we are going to keep on celebrating Christmas and all that it stands for, which led us to go to Christmas eve service.
Maybe it was simply we were looking for something to ease the pain of losing Patty but the meditation that Pastor Russ gave that night resonated with all of us. I have a copy of the sermon but I am not even going to attempt to recite or read it because I cannot give it justice. But I’ll do my best to give you my reasons why I think it applies to Patty.
The meditation is based on the scripture Luke 2:8-14. It talks about the angels who are visiting the shepherds and sharing the news of the birth of Jesus. Pastor Russ points out that angels play a very important role in delivering the Christmas message.
Then Pastor Russ does what he does best and blended the scripture with popular culture. In this case, it was a movie called “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “It’s a Wonderful Life” has become a staple at Christmas time for many including my mother and siblings. To refresh everyone’s memory, this is a movie about George Bailey. One Christmas Eve, George decided life was not wonderful or even worth living. He is alone on a bridge on Christmas Eve contemplating jumping into the cold river below when God designates an angel to deliver a message to him.
He wasn’t exactly an angel, of course. His name was Clarence Oddbody. At least, he knew he was an “Angel, Second Class” who needed to successfully deliver a message before he would be promoted and get his wings.
Clarence’s job was to bring a message of hope and peace to George. He was charged with the responsibility of convincing George that his life mattered and it had purpose and meaning. It was not an easy message to deliver. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to rally George’s spirits, Clarence has an idea. He is going to give George the gift of seeing what the world would be like if he had never been born. The idea works, and George is transformed.
When we heard the original sermon, we couldn’t help but wonder what our lives would have been like, not if we were never born…but if Patty had never been born. For so many of us, it’s difficult to imagine our lives without the impact of Patty. Our lives shined brighter because we had her in them. She loved unconditionally, she gave with no expectation of anything in return and she accepted you for who you are. That was her message.
Sometimes we are so preoccupied with the idea of what angels are supposed to look like, (wings, flying, singing, robes, etc.) that we miss the messengers God has sent to us. Sometimes angels look like winged creatures from heaven. Sometimes they come in the form of Clarence, like in the movie. Sometimes, God’s messengers look like our next door neighbor, that person working next to you, your family, your friends, and even people you’ve just met. Clarence may have showed him the “awful hole” that would have been left if he had not been born, but in the movie it was everyone else who showed him the wonder of his life. For those who knew her, it was Patty who helped show them the wonder of life.
Maybe the point after all, is that the message of God’s peace needed to be delivered in the film- and it still does for all of us. Angels played a big part in the first Christmas and they still do -- at Christmas time and every day.
God can send messages through any means God wants. Sometimes it may be a heavenly being. In my life, the messengers have been much more the flesh and blood kind. The message is Divine, but the messengers look normal.
Sometimes they even look like my sister Patty.