“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV
I have always associated trains with Christmas. I don’t know why. No trains were running to Bethlehem on that first Christmas. Maybe it’s because years ago I hoped Santa would bring me a train set. Or maybe it’s because I’ve seen so many scenes of toy trains around the Christmas tree. I know it’s not because of the movie The Polar Express – that didn’t come out until well after my childhood. In any case, in my way of thinking, trains and Christmas go together.
So imagine my delight when upon moving to Hastings I discovered that the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stops here. It was bitterly cold that first year, but the crowds were large, the music was great, and the train was brightly decorated. It’s how I pictured it would be when I was a child. It was over in a flash. In less than half an hour, the train pulled away and I watched it cross the river and it was gone. Still, it made me glad I lived here. It was one of those small blessings we get at Christmastime.
I hope you get some of those small blessings this Christmas when you experience delight, and perhaps, if only for a moment, feel like a little kid again. I hope something about this season will open your eyes to wonder and you will see how richly we are blessed by God. It doesn’t have to be a train, but it might be. (The Holiday Train stops again in Hastings on Tuesday, December 10 at 8:15 pm. It also stops in Cottage Grove the following day at 5:15 pm.)
God’s mercy and love come morning by morning – and year by year. They never cease. May you experience God’s blessings in big and small ways this season.
Pastor Mark