This year our family shrunk at Christmas. From the overall total of twenty-seven people in our clan to last year’s Christmas gathering of ten to this year’s grand total of only five. Every year it seems to change shape.

Dennis and I and Rebecca and Jacob flew to Washington, DC to spend Christmas with our youngest who is in her first big job and could not take off any day other than the 26^th. She thought it a great travesty to have to work on Christmas Eve, this daughter who still thinks like a college student, who gets four to five weeks of vacation between semesters. “I don’t like being a grown-up” she repeated more than once.

It was our delight to host these three of our kids in Laura’s house for five days while her roommates were all away with their families. We cooked a lot, relaxed a lot, played games, went to church and had an evening out to see Les Miserables in the theatre.

I’m especially grateful for Jacob’s willingness to give Rebecca what she wanted for Christmas: time with her family whose love she needed to feel up close again. And it was our joy to honor their Molly with our gifts this year. Laura gave them a donation to Molly’s Fund as her gift. Ashley sent an adorable pink ornament with Molly’s photo in it. Dennis and I gave them a painting of Molly’s name. It’s a tradition I’ve done with each of our grandchildren, to paint their name with little children adorning each of the letters. When Molly was born this summer and before she died, Rebecca asked if I would still do her name and, of course, I said yes. I’d already decided I would. (Please see posts from June 19-26 to read more about Molly’s precious, short life.)

It was more of a challenge than the other grandchildren’s. To show Molly in heaven rejoicing with Jesus and worshipping Him was not something I’d tried to paint before. But using many verses as clues to what she might be doing, I created what became their gift for this year.

Rebecca and Jacob are still grieving the loss of their baby girl. They still miss her and long to see her again. And they are struggling with not getting pregnant even though they have tried since the first month after she went to Jesus. And with the economy Jacob’s job has hit some bumps that are making this time in their lives about more than just the loss of Molly.

But they are growing still and giving to others in the new Grief Share ministry that they helped start at their church. They are trusting God, that He is the One who closes the womb (I Samuel 5&6) and will give them a child in His timing. They are being shaped as it is God’s loving purpose for them and for us.

Change. It’s not just a political word, but a word that ever describes the dynamics of a family from the early days where Rebecca and Jake are living to the later days where we are living in the empty nest. Again I am grateful that there is One who never changes!