“The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” Isaiah 32:17

By Bro. John L. Cash, Country Preacher Dad

Once I was preaching the first sermon of a new year. The congregation had just finished up the Christmas season—you know, the kind when you go to so many parties and have a month-long binge of treats and sweets. And I said, “Well, here we are in The Oatmeal Days of January.” I was surprised when so many of the mothers in my congregation nodded their heads in agreement. They knew what I meant. When January arrives, we’re bloated with what we’ve eaten in December, and our pocketbooks are light from what went spent during the holidays. We’re forced to eat oatmeal. The party is over, and it’s back to the boring routine. The Oatmeal Days of January are here.

The mundane and routine, coupled with dark, winter weather, can make the days following the holidays seem pretty bleak. But, something my wife Susan said gave me a renewed appreciation of the ordinary. It was also one of the nicest things anyone has ever said in my presence.

Susan and I have a wonderful friend in the ministry, Bro. Jim McQuarry. Our friendship goes back nearly 30 years, and he is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. (He preaches at the nearby Christian Church that is the “town church”.) He is a confirmed bachelor and sometimes stops by for a visit. We’re always happy to feed him because he is easy to please and really just finishes up our leftovers. Once, he stopped by for a quick meal on a Saturday night. I was sitting at the kitchen table cutting out circles from used Christmas cards, so that my Sunday School children could make hospice ornaments from them.

It was then that Preacher Jim said, in good-natured teasing, “Well, Susan, you really married an exciting man. I don’t know how you bear the excitement of what goes on here on Saturday night. It must be thrilling to live with a man who cuts up Christmas cards on Saturday night!”

Now, we’ve all heard this type of conversation before. And we know what Susan’s next line is supposed to be. “Yes, Jim, you’re right. I married an old man who’s a dud.” I was smiling, and that was the reply I expected from her.

But, amazingly enough, that’s not what she said at all. In fact, she straightened her backbone and answered in complete seriousness. She said, “Now, Jim McQuarry, you leave John alone! When I was a teenager, I had an alcoholic stepfather. He was bad to us, and I used to pray that when I grew up God would send me a man who would be good to me and take care of me. Now I’ve got that, and I’m glad he cuts up Christmas cards on Saturday night. So, you just need to let John be!”

You see, there’s a point to all this and here it is: There are far worse things than boring and routine. The opposite of mundane is not always “exciting and fascinating.” Sometimes the opposite of mundane is “chaotic and scary.”

So, dear mama, give thanks to God for the quiet seasons of life. Cherish the routine times you have to enjoy your babies. Oatmeal days are not always so bad—especially when you look at them the right way and add a sprinkle of brown sugar and spice!

Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad” (Sing that title to the tune of “Secret Agent Man”) He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is beginning his third decade of being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He and his lovely wife, Susan, and his sons, Spencer (age 17) and Seth (age 14) live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where the preacher’s family doesn’t eat much oatmeal but a lot “Marshmallow Mateys” from industrial-sized bags). You should write him at extramailbox@juno.com.

“Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:25, 26 (NKJV)

By Bro. John L. Cash, “Country Preacher Dad”

I spent the bulk of my childhood playing a part in one kind of Christmas program or another. When I was in kindergarten, I was one of the holiday toys riding on “The Little Engine that Could” — a kite to be specific. My dad constructed my costume out of corrugated cardboard and duct tape, and my mom decorated the whole thing with shiny Christmas paper and added a tinsel tail. When I wore the thing, it felt more like a trap of some sort or a torture device. I was sandwiched between layers of pasteboard that bent down my ears. If I ever sat down in it I was helpless – like a turtle lying flat on his back on the highway – until somebody took pity on me and helped me up. Nevertheless, I played my part as a kite because that’s what little kids did at Christmas.

In the years that followed, I was in a Christmas program every year, and often I was in two or three (when you figure in all the programs at church, clubs and school.) I recited memory verses, sang carols in kiddie choirs, and marched down the aisle of the church carrying a candle. In successive years I was a Joseph, a shepherd, and a wise man. I worked puppets. I was a caroler in a shadow show. I was a “Gift of the Spirit.” I was a soldier in George Washington’s army. I was Charlie Brown. I was The Narrator. And once in a youth group play I was the Prince of Darkness, Satan himself. (My parents said I was a natural in this role.)

By the time I turned 13, I had had enough! I was sulking in the car on my way to youth group Christmas program practice. I told my parents I had done my last Christmas program. I wasn’t a little kid any more.

To my surprise, my parents agreed with me. They said it was very true that I was no longer a little kid. I had grown up into a young man. And, as a young man who was intended to be busy about the Lord’s work, I would be in that year’s Christmas program and probably many more.

I hate to admit it, but Mom and Dad were right. It was probably one of the truest things they ever said. I was in Christmas programs in high school and then during my years of Bible college. This is my 24th Christmas as preacher at the Antioch Christian Church, and I have been in a Christmas program every year since I started here. Many years, I have been in more than one program. This year has been no exception.

Today’s scripture (at the top) tells of Simeon, who praised God when he was privileged to see Baby Jesus in the Temple. He was a very old man, and the Lord had promised him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. As he held the Baby, Simeon told God that he was now ready for the Lord to take him home. Because Simeon had seen Jesus, his life was complete.

What Simeon knew (and what I’m learning) is that a person never gets too old to offer praise to the Christ Child. You’re never too old to be part of the Christmas program. And your life is never complete until you see Jesus. Serve Him with gladness today.

Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad” (Sing that title to the tune of “Secret Agent Man.”) He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is beginning his third decade of being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He and his lovely wife, Susan, and his sons, Spencer (age 17) and Seth (age 14) live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where the children will have their Christmas program this Sunday night). You should write him at extramailbox@juno.com.

“Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)

By Bro. John L. Cash, “Country Preacher Dad”

I got ambushed by Christmas this year. I just didn’t see him coming. I should have remembered, especially since Christmas shows up every year, just like clockwork. But this year he was hiding behind Halloween and Thanksgiving, and for some reason I wasn’t paying attention. Then, before I knew it, December was here. He pounced out and clubbed me on the head with a fruitcake, tied me with tinsel and dragged me under the tree. I got clobbered by Christmas.

This morning, the school secretary Miss Geraldine came scurrying in with a homemade holiday food tray and said, “It just seems like I can’t get everything together this year.” That pretty much describes my situation. I usually send a lot of Christmas cards. This year… no. I usually make a PowerPoint slideshow for the Christmas cantata. This year… didn’t happen. I usually have my presents wrapped by now. This year… nope. I won’t bore you with the whole list of things left undone, but we’re only scratching the surface here. Trust me on this one.

In my defense, I’ve been pretty busy with other things – my sons and all their activities. And there’s been a lot of sickness and sadness in the church lately. I’ve attended the usual flurry of Christmas programs, parties, and parades. I just finished final exams for the high school Latin class I teach. So I haven’t been idle. I just haven’t been working on my holiday to-do list.

But there’s a silver lining to all this. I’m really having a very good Christmas. And it’s because of something my sister Cathie told me several Christmases ago. I was telling her I was feeling kind of sad after Christmas because I hadn’t been able to organize and pull-off a perfect Yuletide Season. She said, “Oh, John. You messed up. You tried to make a perfect Christmas. That never happens, so no wonder you’re sad. You should have aimed at having a good one!”

That, my dear friends, is the Gospel truth. Nothing in this life goes perfectly, and Christmas is no exception. And it’s important to remember how the celebration of Christmas got started. The holiday was originally called “Christ-mass” because the celebration was a communion service when the birth of Jesus was remembered. People went to Mass to honor Christ. So I figure that if, in the month of December, I get to remember and receive Christ in Holy Communion, then I’ve had a great “Christ Mass”. Everything else I do beyond that to celebrate His birth is just “gravy”. And instead of fretting about doing everything perfectly, I can spend my winter days thinking of the blessings God has given me at the Christmas season… and they are so very many!

Don’t strive for a perfect Christmas this year. Just aim for a good one.

From my house to your house, have a good Christmas. A really good one.

Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” (Sing that title to the tune of “Secret Agent Man”) He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is beginning his third decade of being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He and his lovely wife, Susan, and his sons, Spencer (age 17) and Seth (age 14) live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where Christmas is never perfect, but is always good). You should write him at extramailbox@juno.com.