Christmas 2016

The following story was shared by USA today last December. It's a touching testimony from a family in a WWII Nazi concentration camp.

By: Ruth Ebenstein
"On Christmas Eve 1944, my grandmother urged my uncle, then 12 years old, to sneak out of the concentration camp where they were imprisoned at Strasshof, nearly 15 miles east of Vienna, to go begging.

People are charitable around Christmastime, Grandma Lili said to her son, Gyuri (George in Hungarian). Ask for scraps. Anything they can spare. Tell them that we're on the verge of starvation.

Tell them that your 3-year-old sister cannot get off the bed because she's outgrown her shoes.

I don't want to beg, retorted the boy. I'd rather steal.

That's wrong, scolded his mother. We are not thieves!

They argued back and forth. After a time, her son reluctantly accepted.

In the dark of night, Gyuri snuck out of the camp between two wooden slats and walked the nearly four miles to Deutsch-Wagram, the closest town, shivering in his tattered clothing. On the outskirts he happened upon a house, secluded from the others. He walked up the path and knocked on the front door.

A woman opened that door. She was probably alone, her man far away, fighting in the war, her children asleep in their beds. And it is likely that she suspected that the young boy was Jewish.

The 12-year-old pieced together in German exactly what his mother had told him to say.

Did he hide his ambivalence about begging? Did he charm her even then with his gift of gab?

Come back tomorrow, whispered the woman.

The next day, my uncle returned. The woman opened the door with a smile. She piled his hands with bread, clothing, a pair of shoes that her child had outgrown.

And... a pair of socks.

The woman had knitted warm woolen socks for my mother.

Nestled in socks and shoes that fit, my mother scooted off the bed in delight. Her ragged shoes were passed on to a younger child who was also living in the camp. My mother joined her mother and older brother in feasting on the provisions they were given. They shared their unexpected bounty with the entire barracks. It was a quiet celebration of human kindness around Christmastime.

In April 1945, my mother, uncle and grandmother were liberated by the Russians. And it was those very socks and shoes that my mother wore as she trekked some 28 miles over two days to Bratislava on her walk to a new life.

She was three months shy of 4 years old.

Grandma Lili had a gorgeous laugh and a mischievous sense of humor. Even during the Holocaust. She used to tease my mom, you can tell folks that you spent your childhood in the Vienna Woods.

To the anonymous Righteous Gentile, I thank you.

Thank you for knitting with your hands the pair of socks that warmed my mom's little feet and skinny legs. Thank you for finding those shoes and clothing and giving them to a stranger. Thank you for sharing your bread during wartime. In the despair of a battered land, cold and snowy, when many hearts were closed and evil reigned and death was more likely than life, especially for Jews, you gave them light. You gave them kindheartedness.

You gave them a measure of sustenance that I can only imagine.

If you had not looked past the years of poisonous hatred and anti-Semitism that had enveloped your country in order to rally to help my family, who knows if they would have survived to tell this story..."

I share this with you because THIS is what Christmas is all about. It's not about special Church Services, it's not about just having nice nostalgic joyful music on the radio- it's about HOPE. True and REAL hope. Hope that leads to life, and life more abundantly.

This Christmas season and beyond, I challenge ALL of us to be a part of SPREADING that hope. Go out of your way to be more kind- every day try and do at least ONE small act of kindness to someone- whether you know them or you don't.

2000 years ago Jesus came to be the light in the darkness: a light of hope and goodwill, truth and peace. And when He left, He gave that responsibility over to us, to forever SPREAD that light and push back the darkness of fear, of hopelessness, of helplessness and sadness until He returns to finally vanquish ALL of it once and for all.

Until that day, let's let our lights shine in the darkness of this world. Who knows, maybe by buying ONE meal for a perfect stranger or donating a beautiful toy for a child who will have none, or giving up ONE night to help in a homeless shelter, or even buying or knitting ONE pair of socks for a small child- who knows if those tiny acts of goodness could make a difference to change a life for the good FOREVER.

So let's not only celebrate Christmas and this upcoming new year- but let's join together to BE Christmas as Son's and Daughters of the Living God- to continue to bring His real and lasting message of hope, to ALL who have such great need of it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! May this Christmas be a blessed one! Praise God!

Mighty God

Word's from the pastor:

I receive a daily devotional from Matthew West and a website he created, popwe.org. Today's devotion spoke to me and served as a reminder of how Mighty God really is. Matthew West shared this illustration that his dad a pastor himself had used in the past.

"One day a man asked a crowd of people, "Who is the strongest man here today?"  When a big burly guy in the back stepped forward, he asked him to join him on stage.  The speaker then told the crowd that he was going to prove just how strong the man was. The people were on the edge of their seats, expecting nothing less than a great show.  The speaker tossed a paper clip on the floor in front of him and challenged him to pick it up.  A gasp went up from the crowd.  The strong man glared at the speaker, insulted by the request.  Then, as the strong man bent to gather the paper clip, the hecklers shouted, "Come on! Show us what he can really do!" The speaker, unfazed by their response, addressed the crowd again. "As you can plainly see, the task I gave him to do was disappointing because it did not scratch the surface of his strength and capability."  This is what we do with God.  We don't comprehend His strength so we hesitate to ask Him to use it in our behalf."

We get caught doing this all the time don't we? We find ourselves in trouble. We find ourselves wondering how we're going to make it through this bump in the road, this struggle we're facing doesn't seem to have an ending. We can't see anyway out and we definitely don't know how or what the outcome is going to be. Will I make it through this? Will my family, friends, or loved ones going to be let down? So we try to make it better any possible way we can. The problem is we allow our anxiety and fear to dictate our decisions. We think that we can do it on our own and whatever we decide is going to fix our problems is the best possible way.

However how can we truly rely on our way out if we can't see what's ahead? How can we navigate our way through troubled times when we don't know where the road we're on leads us? We can't. We have relied on ourselves and our own thinking for way too long. Yeah, sure we've made it this far, but at what cost? It's been a hard rough road hasn't it? You're tired and weak from this journey so far and that has an effect on your decision making as well.

I tell you there is one who knows what lies ahead for you. There is one who has gone before you and He sees what lies ahead on the road you're traveling. It's time to stop thinking we can do it all by ourselves and time to start ask for help. Time to start asking for directions. Right now as you read this, today make that decision to trust in God. Turn to Him in prayer and ask Him to guide you. Next thing to do is trust and know that He is in our life, that He has always been in your life and He will show us the way. All we have to do is be open to receiving His guidance and watch and listen for His word.

Have a blessed day and a blessed Christmas!

What We Can Learn From the Shepherds

The shepherds were changed forever by what they saw and you can be as well if you follow their example:

• Be attentive to what God has called you to do
• Be awed by God’s message to you
• Accept the gift of good news
• Act on what you know to be true
• Adore Emmanuel 24/7

Jesus was born to the whole world but He was born “to you.”
God declares that Jesus was born to YOU!

Christmas is real history but it must become your story.
Luke 2:11: "This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord."

After they saw baby Jesus, the shepherds went back to their same boring jobs but they weren’t the same on the inside. They returned to where they started and were attentive again. After Christmas we have to go back to the same routine but now we can do so with rejoicing. We are to rejoice right where we are. Yes, it’s possible to have joy in our jobs even if they’re not so fabulous.

Look at Luke 2:20:

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” 

They don’t just wonder about what they saw, they worship Him who they saw. A clear evidence of conversion is always adoration. When a person is genuinely converted he or she will praise God.

Allow yourself this Advent Season to adore Emmanuel as you glorify and praise Him for all you have seen and heard.You can return to the same place tomorrow but not as the same person.

Do you want to take on the role of the shepherds?

• Is He “Savior” to you?
• Is He “Christ” to you?
• Is He “Lord” to you?

Your Place to Connect With God

Welcome to our new blog!

Here at Alberta Gary Memorial United Methodist Church we offer residents in the Columbia, MD area the chance to come together and worship with like-minded congregants as members of a strong, loving community. Whether you’re looking for peace of mind, a way to give back, or simply want to connect with God — Alberta Gary Memorial UMC welcomes you. Join our community, and start your journey to spiritual enlightenment with us!

As we enter the world of social media we hope to use this as an opportunity to share God's word and our ministries with our communities and the world.