While I am not new to the process of editing people’s stories, I am always humbled when I am allowed to carefully handle what are, in many cases, very intimate moments. The very clear message that God is found in every crack and crevice of our lives means no story in these pages is commonplace, even if that story reminds you of one of your own experiences. What we have in common isn’t necessarily ordinary. I hope you discover that, too.

My deep gratitude to the many folks who contributed to this devotional. I pounded out a large list of personal questions based on our Advent theme this year, then asked you all to pick a question and write around 150 words for it. All your gifts came in, and I had the task to faithfully edit them, mostly for length. Several submissions brought me to tears. Thank you again.

I invite you, as you go through this devotional, not just to read the memories shared but to also reflect on your own experiences as prompted by the questions, as well as reading the scriptures associated with each week. I hope you are as blessed through that process as I have been in anthologizing these stories.

With hope, joy, peace, and love,

Amanda Zuehlke Community Life Coordinator, MHCUCC [email protected] “A man with a good running car ain’t got no need of redemption.” This quote, from Flannery O’Connor, is one of my favorites. When things in life are going well, when our cars are running smoothly, we tend to take life – and God – for granted. This explains a lot about why the church over the last several decades has grown most quickly in the southern hemisphere . . . where more people have poor running cars.

This past year, however, has challenged us like no other. And suddenly there are a lot more people praying to God for strength and patience and health. Others, however, experience this time as a test of faith. It can be challenging when God seems to be silent. This is why Marc Miller’s beautiful song, I Believe, is perfect for this Advent season. “I believe in God, even when God is silent,” Miller writes.

As the pandemic drags on, and as the pain of separation grows more acute during the holiday season, God can appear to be silent. And so our faith grows increasingly challenged. But God’s presence is steadfast. Whether you struggle to trust God’s promises in the silence or are unfaltering in your commitment to your relationship to God, leaning on one another for strength is critical in this time when being surrounded by a faith community is such a treasured gift.

My prayer for you in this holiday season is that you will be safe, will reach out to others when you struggle, that you will trust God’s presence through it all, and that these stories can offer you little gifts each day to lift your spirits and remind you that you are held, treasured and loved.

Warmly,

Pastor Vicki November, 2020

Sunday, November 29 Has good news ever brought about a major change for you?

Once I was seeking a part-time job when both my boys entered school full time. I responded to an ad in the Sun Post about an opening at Baldwin Wallace University. After being interviewed several times, I said a prayer asking God to guide me in whether or not to accept the position (should it be offered) knowing that my hands were pretty full with a busy family and church volunteer positions. I then felt confident when I received a call offering me the job to say yes. I later found out that over 100 women had applied for that position and that they had never placed an ad in the paper before! I worked at Baldwin Wallace for 27 years and was very happy in this career choice. Thank you, God, for that guidance. – Fran Rudolph

Monday, November 30 Have you ever received a message of real comfort in a time of fear/ anxiety?

When I graduated from college, music-teaching jobs were scarce. I grew up in the suburbs, and attended Baldwin Wallace College, receiving a fairly elitist conservatory education. I actively tried to avoid urban teaching jobs, however, that is exactly where I ended up. Eventually I was hired as the Shaw High School orchestra director in East Cleveland. I was kind of out of my element being the only white teacher in the high school music department and a wind player teaching mainly strings. I must have looked pretty scared those first few weeks because our staff accompanist gave me a small plaque with a picture of a young student playing the violin and the words from Psalm 118:6: “The Lord is for me, I will not be afraid.” I looked at that plaque every day for about 27 years, repeating the words until I truly believed it. I left the plaque for the new teacher when I retired, hoping that it would provide the same comfort and courage for her. – Sandy Uhl Tuesday, December 1 Share about a time you’ve had to repent/confess and its impact on you.

My dad was my superstar. Having three girls, he tended to spoil us and would do special projects out in the garage to surprise us with gifts. Years ago, as a teen, I was away at a volleyball camp and my dad decided to paint may old, used car. It was probably a huge undertaking for one man in five days, but he did it. When I got home from camp, he was so excited to show me and I remember looking at the car and being disappointed that the headlights and taillights weren’t in it because I had missed my friends and wanted to take off and see them. I was so ungrateful! I hurt his feelings. I carried that feeling of shame and embarrassment, even though I had apologized to him. I brought this up to him years later and he did not even remember my lack of appreciation. He had forgiven me long ago, but I had not forgiven myself. Confessing my wrongdoings to my father was essential in the forgiveness process. The weight of my feelings was lifted, and I felt peace. – Laura Toth

Wednesday, December 2 Sometimes promises are long in coming. When have you exercised trust?

When it comes to trust, we have two situations that stick out. They both involve medicine, a field of study that we with our liberal arts backgrounds know little about. The first was when Athena was diagnosed with leukemia. With a type of cancer that only affects 600- 800 individuals per year, we needed to put a lot of trust in the care protocol of the medical team. We needed to have faith that every treatment choice would bring Athena closer to recovery. Athena remembers one time looking up at an intravenous bag of arsenic trioxide and just quietly hoping that the pharmacist who processed the medication did so correctly.

In 2018, we once again put enormous trust in medicine during Henry’s delivery. Due to complications, he needed to be rushed to a different hospital. We hoped that everyone from the ambulance transport team to the doctors, lab technicians, and nurses were taking the best care possible of our new-to-this-world son. We unfortunately could not be there to hold his hand, and we had to trust that all eight pounds of him was being taken care of in the best way possible. – Melissa Zagata & Athena Mericsko Thursday, December 3 Have you ever "raised your voice" to oppose injustice or give hope despite fear?

When I saw the prompt about courage and fear, my memory immediately resurrected a moment over thirty years ago. We were living in Cleveland, a neighborhood where we knew several neighbors but not many. I was upstairs when I heard screaming and a young girl crying. I quickly went to the window, seeing a girl straddling a bike and a man standing over her with a raised hand. Not thinking, I yelled out. I have no idea what I said. The girl quickly rode off and the man followed. My husband later wondered if our house would be targeted. I hadn’t even thought about that, or probably anything else, including if my reaction, immediate and from deep within, deescalated the tension or if the girl would later be punished. If such an incident were to happen again, I’m not sure logical thinking would come first though it should be an integral part of any action. The definition of courage is vast; fear is intertwined with its expression despite the order. – Debbie Thompson

Friday, December 4 How has being hospitable helped you mature spiritually?

I love to plan parties and have guests over. There’s a profound sense of joy in sitting amidst those I love and watching them interact with one another. Not being able to host Friendsgiving this year has been a devastating blow. This seemingly endless isolation from people whose company I crave has been crippling.

True hospitality, however, is much more than throwing a party for people you like. I learned that lesson a few years ago when I found myself serving in an organization that welcomed all, regardless of mental health, addiction, criminal record, literacy level, access to showers and clean clothes, and a dozen other “reasons” that would typically disqualify many folks from employment. In needing to walk alongside such a diverse crowd of people who all desired the dignity of earning income, I discovered how practical grace is, and how little my privileges and advantages mattered in God’s eyes. – Amanda Zuehlke

Saturday, December 5 When has hope brought you closer to others?

The last nine months I have looked for things/people/sightings that have given me hope, and in doing this it has brought me closer to others. This hope comes from smiling at a stranger, checking on a neighbor or fellow church member, or being able to have more time with my family and engage in more meaningful conversations with ways to cope with the past nine months. I have always had hope in my life as I know I have a boy in heaven waiting for me... but this summer this hope has also made me recognize the love, faith and hope I have for the world, others, and family here on earth… and this brings me hope and peace to my heart for the future. – Andrea Luca

Sunday, December 6 When has an act of creation brought you peace?

Creativity (it is said) is intelligence having fun. Children are naturally creative in their play and thoughts. By adulthood, that free, creative thinking is often lost.

It has been my experience that giving time to developing creative thoughts and actions connects me with God, who I carry within me. Such activity tends to calm my soul. Being creative takes on different forms for everyone. Finding time to do something you love, trying something new, or improving what you already do is creative. I believe that this is an important way our God helps souls to cope and grow.

I suffer with anxiety. God touches my soul by using my creativity to live and grow with joy! – Peg Knueve

Monday, December 7 Describe a time when you saw light transforming the dark.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” My late husband and I had this routine: Every morning, we would feed our two dogs, load them in the car and drive to a park for a three -mile walk. Every morning. After he died, I continued this practice, mostly out of habit. The first few months were hard, not just because of my grief, but because he died in the fall and as the days got shorter, these walks got darker. I found comfort in that darkness because it kept me from seeing the world. I was lost, alone, afraid. Just me and the dogs.

I survived that first winter. One spring morning on our walk, I witnessed what seemed like the most beautiful sunrise ever. Then I saw a baby eagle in a tree. Then I saw a deer running across the little stream. I realized I was seeing colors; that I had been living in a world of grey for months. The light was always there. This sunrise occurred every day. I was finally able to see it again. I knew I was being kept safe in God’s loving arms. And while I still was journeying through grief, I knew I would survive this. – Sue Pray

Tuesday, December 8 How have you noticed yourself/others resisting or not recognizing light/truth/peace?

I often resist light, truth and peace. I can’t change someone’s mind about politics; I’m angry. I can’t live my life as planned due to a pandemic; I’m frustrated. Friends and family die; I'm furious. My being out of control triggers destructive feelings. I wallow in my emotions, dig my heels in, unwilling to feel the light. The grace. The peace. Defiant against it, desperate for authority I don’t have. As I grow, I’ve learned that my only control is in my reactions. There is a Prince of PEACE and when I trust in him the light reenters. When it’s felt, I am overwhelmed by the release of the negativity and the flood of light and love. I simply have to share what I’ve witnessed with others. Once again I can’t imagine that we’re not all greedy for this, for him... until the next time I resist the light. – Michele Kanaris

Wednesday, December 9 Tell about a time when you were awe-struck.

While I attended church as a child and through college, I consider my real enlightenment began in the early 70’s when I came across the human potential movement. I participated in some activities of the Gestalt Institute. There, I experienced myself and others sharing what seemed to be the very core, the essence of our being. As we shared intimate words and emotions, our souls if you will, God suddenly became real as witnessed in my fellow human beings. God became part of my experience; no longer learning about God but experiencing God. So, in this very secular setting with no mention of God by name, God came alive for me in my fellow human beings. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I heard words from a Faith and Life speaker at Baldwin Wallace University which summed up what I had encountered: “Christianity is experiential.” I knew God was present, real and in everyone’s life even if not acknowledged. – Mars Patterson

Thursday, December 10 Have you ever felt relieved of a burden you were shouldering?

Many of us have experienced being caregivers of the young and old. I loved my father, but toward the end he was a burden because he didn’t accept care and was putting others in danger with his driving, and to himself with reckless activities. Eventually he landed in a nursing home and over time became the loving man I knew, and the burden I was shouldering was lifted. It felt so good when he said, “Thank you for taking care of me, visiting me when I was sick.” No matter what, I gave him unconditional love like Jesus taught us to do; however, when he showed appreciation it was a burden lifted. I knew it would come, but thanks be to God for that joy before he joined his maker in heaven. – Ann Over

Friday, December 11 When have you seen a leader serve humbly?

Coach I thought about a coach in a season gone by and was humbled by a vision of Christ I had seen:

In spite of insults, he continued to bless with the gift of his presence.

In spite of lessons that went unheard, he continued to teach.

In spite of examples that went unseen, he continued to set them.

In the face of those who knew better and questioned his ability, he stood quiet.

In all he did, he showed God’s love and poured forth the fruit of God’s spirit.

I am thankful for his witness and for being blessed to see it. – John Holton Saturday, December 12 Ever experience being in a group where the cause transcended differences?

Recently, I served as the campus liaison for an interfaith council. This culturally diverse group represents both conservative and progressive religious views from Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, and Protestant faith perspectives. While each is committed to their understanding of what it means to have a spiritual connection with the universe, they are equally dedicated to working together.

My interactions with this council taught me a lot. We often tackled challenging projects such as an interfaith prayer vigil following the murder of George Floyd. Although each council member is steeped in their own faith practices, they work together in authentic ways. They showed me that we can be true to our personal relationship with God while also demonstrating that people of faith can join together to create a more loving world. The birth of Jesus reminds me that faith can move us closer to loving each other rather than dividing us. This is my prayer for 2021. – Judy Hammer

Sunday, December 13 Have you experienced God drawing close to you while you were "lowly in spirit"?

When my husband of seven years left, I was devastated. For the first and last time in my life I didn’t care if I woke up in the morning. My son told me that if he had to eat, then I had to eat. Pretty smart for a six-year-old.

I turned to friends, family and the local Christian radio station for support. I was not a regular member of a church at the time. I cried lots but drew comfort from the songs and sermons on the radio. I was feeling very guilty, but after reading a passage in the bible I felt forgiven. I prayed a lot because my grandmother told me that God and my faith were the most important things in my life.

Many things during this time (1979) felt like I had the help of God in everything I did, and I am grateful. – Gail Lingenfelter

Monday, December 14 When have you been moved to praise God despite difficult circumstances?

For most of my adult life, I have had eye problems with Granular Dystrophy, an inherited condition. My mother had it, and my sister also has it. Eighteen years ago I had my first cornea transplant. Since then I have had PTK laser surgery on both eyes to correct my vision.

This past March I had another cornea transplant. Things were healing well and I was looking forward to new glasses and being able to drive again. However, in early August I developed an overly aggressive eye infection under my new cornea. After all this time, the infection appears to be healing, but my vision is still not clear.

Despite the difficulties with this infection, muddled vision, and some days just feeling sorry for myself, I am praising God! I can still do most things I love doing, such as my photography, reading books, and going for walks. I am thankful to have a wonderful doctor, a loving husband, and great family and friends. These joys, along with having my faith to get me through my difficulties, makes me truly grateful. – Judy Evridge Tuesday, December 15 Describe witnessing injustice righted.

I’m not sure injustice is righted. The Bible describes restorative justice: Repair of harm and transformation through collaboration. Do you remember the program Friendly Town (1960 – 1970), an attempt to right economic and racial injustices in Cleveland by inviting inner city children to spend two weeks in the summer with a middle-class family?

My family hosted Brenda, a 9-year-old girl. The first two nights she peed the bed! She was a young black child placed with an all-white family, who had never been away from home. Her ability to find joy in new experiences and our ability to show our care… I think she had a good time. When we drove her back to her Hough neighborhood home and left her, all four of us cried. Of course, we thanked our lucky stars. More importantly, our guilt over having so much in the face of having so little was palpable. Our white privileged lives… the injustice is still part of who I am.

Friendly Town did not last long. Token programs might start a chain of change, but only if we agree to participate in real restorative justice. We must integrate with each other’s daily lives. – Beth Kean

Wednesday, December 16 How have you observed people of simple means celebrate life?

I see joy and pride in the faces of those attending Denison United Church of Christ when sharing their praises for the week: “I’ve been sober one month.” “I get to see my kids again.” “Section 8 housing applications are available.” “I received a free bus pass.”

They are joys I’ve never experienced, yet they remind me how blessed my life has been. – Barb Nitzsche Thursday, December 17 Share about recognizing God "hidden" within a person or situation.

One pound, nine ounces. 23 weeks gestation. 20% survival rate. Five months in the NICU. Why our baby? Why anyone’s baby? What would his future hold? Would there be a future? Will he be happy?

YES. VERY happy. 37 surgeries later, many hospitalizations, much suffering with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, blindness, respiratory disease, and countless kidney stones. Can’t walk, can’t talk. But he CAN communicate. He CAN spread joy. He radiates Jesus’s love. For those who get the privilege of knowing Kyle, they get to see his joy, learn about his favorite things like Scooby Doo, Star Wars, jokes and all things Disney. And his ability to laugh louder and harder than anyone I know. And the depth of his faith when we pray or read his devotionals, with wide-eyed focus. Once people look beyond what Kyle can’t do, they see who God has created – a joyful, resilient, loving child. A child whose mission is to spread love and glorify God and ALL his children. Every day we are blessed with Kyle’s smiles, tons of daily smiles that keep us going, that give us hope, and we are reminded of God’s goodness. Our hearts are full. May yours be, too. – Janice Leanza

Friday, December 18 Do you think gratitude and joy go hand-in-hand? If so, why?

Do gratitude and joy go hand-in-hand? You betcha! A Harvard health publication says “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, build stronger relationships and deal with adversity.” Who doesn’t want to feel better? Gratitude is an attitude and joy is something we cultivate. Joyful is not the drive or walk through the Metroparks but being grateful for the trip and all it did for your soul. Small packages of joy are everywhere — laughter, seeing a deer or woodpecker out the window, the taste of pie, the voice of a best friend or a hug from a family member. Notice them—appreciate them. – Leslie Postel

Gratitude results in joy, so yes, they go hand-in-hand. Both are strong, positive emotions. Expressing gratitude towards God, towards others, relishing sounds, smells, and happy memories create joy and happiness and bring balance to our overall well-being. Gratitude and joy are rooted in who God is! As a Christian, I strive to express my gratitude in both trials and blessings and knowing joy in God's assurance to never leave us. – Char Finley Saturday, December 19 Ever have a long-awaited promise fulfilled? What was that like?

The Smithsonian Institution had long ago promised to return the Sacred Pipe to the Sioux Nation for their use and safekeeping. At long last, that promise was being kept. And Eugene, a school bus driver on the Rosebud Reservation, excitedly told us in the sacred confines of the sweat lodge that he had been chosen by the elders to be the keeper of that Sacred Pipe — an honor of the highest order. Sweat rolled down his face as his dark eyes glistened. With deep earnestness, he shared with us the profound awe, the boundless joy, and the deep responsibility he felt for this promise finally kept, and for his role as the keeper of the Sacred Pipe.

As we Christians eagerly await the magic of Christmas Eve and the story of a prophetic promise kept so long ago, must we not also, like Eugene on the Rosebud, earnestly tell that sacred story and respond with profound awe, boundless joy, and a deep sense of responsibility? – Bob Watson

Sunday, December 20 Does your family have any less-than-shining model citizens in its past?

What comes to mind when writing about “imperfect” ancestry? Would you agree it sounds uncomfortable? Who would be so vulnerable to make such an admission? I looked in the mirror and declared, who am I to judge a family member, when I have been that person myself — not necessarily by my own actions, rather by actions of others? In church for example, as a child of divorce, through no fault of my own, denied holy communion and feeling rejected by God and labeled. That experience scarred me until I attended another denomination with an “open” table. If we are to be honest, history demonstrates this often and these days are no exception; we do judge and label without understanding the entire story. I would wager anyone reading this can recall feeling as I did and still do on occasion. I am a wonderfully flawed, less-than-shining model citizen and my imperfect ancestry is filled with skeletons, yet we still love and forgive each other. I would not have it any other way. Otherwise, what would the birth of Jesus mean? Therein lies my hope. – Pauline Wills

Monday, December 21 When thinking about love, whose legacy stands out most to you?

My mother was a selfless person, loving and caring for her family, yet asking so little in return. Christmas was a time when we could reciprocate, do something for her. So as kids, we worked together to surprise her with the “perfect” gift. We’d have a meeting to decide, my two older brothers taking the lead, as their paper routes were our main source of funds; the rest of us chipping in as we could. In the mid 1950’s, the Christmas gift I remember most was a dinnerware set for 8, Pyrex Milk Glass with a blue band and gold trim. We walked to Lehman’s Hardware to pick it out, my brothers carrying the heavy box home. That Christmas morning, I have no memory of what I received, but I have never forgotten my mother’s joy and surprise at receiving the big box containing the Pyrex Dinnerware Set for 8. We were just kids then, caught up in the joyous spirit of giving, returning a bit of the love that our mother had so generously given to us. – Jim Longsworth Tuesday, December 22 When have you believed the impossible and acted on that belief?

I believe, even when it seems nearly impossible or the odds aren’t in your favor, that love and prayer can overcome obstacles. Recalling 2005 when our daughter, Linda, who lives and teaches in Arizona had serious surgery right before the holidays…

I flew out there to be with her for one week. All seemed fine for five days until severe abdominal pain sent her to the ER. After a long night of dread, I was told another surgery was required with a survival rate of 5%. It was sepsis! While waiting alone, I started to pray, “Dear Lord…” First came the news that the surgery went well and the rate went up to 10%. Day by day she got stronger and was discharged after two weeks. Prayers answered!

Besides wrestling the fear of losing her, I also learned to drive a big- ass truck and navigate a strange city, all the while fretting about Christmas gifts not bought or decorations not up. My week stay turned into over three weeks, yet when I finally got home, it was one of the most blessed Christmases we ever celebrated! – Lois Reinke

Wednesday, December 23 Do you think you've ever received a sign of God's love? Please share the story.

One day I woke feeling the need for human touch, so I asked God for a hug. Later, I met up with friends to serve a meal to the poor in downtown Cleveland. When I arrived, another friend, Debbie, was getting out of the car. I shouted to her, a bit out of character for me, and she came and gave me a hug. That turned out to be the first of many I received that day. After the meal, Debbie told me she just learned her cancer had returned. It was now my turn to give her a hug. Later at home, I reflected on hugs and how their meaning for both participants.

A Simple Hug Today I prayed to God for human touch a simple hug would do a prayer that was answered wonderfully by you.

God’s way of answering prayers is truly mystical for only a short time later I learned you needed my hug too.

In God’s loving way sharing a Blessing is a Blessing too. Your gift of a hug to me, was also my gift of a hug to you. – John Holton Thursday, December 24 Describe a time you took a big risk based solely or mostly on love.

It was the beginning of COVID lockdown in chilly March during my walk to the coffee shop when I noticed a young woman staggering and coughing in distress. I hesitated as I got closer, hearing gut- wrenching sobbing; in that moment, weighing the risks between responding out of fear or love. Feeling a nudge, I asked if she was okay; no jacket, wearing thin socks without shoes… clearly, she was not. Taylor had walked at least three miles from a situation, asking passersby for help to charge her phone, each time ignored. We went to the coffee shop but were turned away because of COVID. I took another risk and walked Taylor back to our home. Don charged her phone as I tended to the need to clean, clothe and feed her while she kept thanking us. Taylor finally arranged pickup from her friend. After they left, I settled down, rocked to the core of what we experienced; I cried humble tears of joy that I risked acting out of love. Could the same be true when Mary and Joseph were turned away and finally offered shelter where baby Jesus would be born? We can only wonder. – Pauline Wills Friday, December 25 Reflect on the name Immanuel ("God with Us"). What meaning does it have for you?

Silent Night is one of my favorite carols. The words evoke an idyllic picture; we may imagine the first Christmas the same way, but is that the reality?

Rather than a peaceful, silent night, the Bible tells us the village of Bethlehem was teeming with people jostling for rooms as they were forced to register with Roman authorities to be taxed. There were also the animals in the barn with their assorted noises. The silence was broken with cries of Mary’s birth pangs and those of the newborn baby, with Joseph’s anxious questions as he comforted and helped. The night was rent by a choir of angels announcing this miraculous birth and the frightened shouts of startled shepherds.

God was not born during a silent night with soft snow covering the earth. No! God was born into a world of noise and chaos, a world of uncertainty and oppression, a world just like ours. And for that, we should rejoice! For that birth into the midst of every day, messy living brings us hope that God’s love will overcome hate, injustice, and oppression and turn our world upside down. So, as we sing “Silent Night,” let us dwell for a brief moment in nostalgia but then break into Joy to the World for God has indeed come to redeem us into a community of love and service. – Dick Berg