Redeeming Christmas

Sheri Hunt

 . . . so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we … might be adopted as sons. (Galatians 4:5 AMP)

Christmas morning, 1970. Daddy pounded on our bedroom door. “Living room in fifteen minutes!”

Right on time, we kids filed to the living room. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . this year we would get to open presents. But the reality was my dad did not believe in Christmas.

Christmas Day started with “Family Altar,” an excruciating hour of listening to Daddy contend topics most people accepted as normal – like Christmas. We listened in captive silence, but occasionally his absurd theologies provoked disagreement. This rebellion extended his rantings until we repented or got a whack or two with a belt.

Through years of wise counsel and countless tears, God empowered me to escape oppressive legalism. He redeemed childhood memories, and gave me insight to build communication in parenting. On Christmas day, my husband and I laugh together with our grown sons while making stuffed French toast for breakfast and stuffed turkey for dinner. We open presents one-by-one, recounting good memories over a jigsaw puzzle.

God took this little girl, taught to use Scripture to argue everything, and transformed her into a woman passionately pursuing the love of Christ.

Thank you, God, for redeeming past pain and conflicts

so we can live in harmonious grace.