My first Chrismukkah

It is well past new years now, but our holiday season is well over. This year it started early as we celebrated Hanukkah with adam. I learned a lot about the Jewish 8 day celebration. I had no idea it was a celebration of a miracle. For 8 days oil lit the lamp in the temple that was destroyed. There was only enough oil for a day or so, but God kept the light burning. Now the Jews celebrate what God did for them by lighting a light every day for 8 days. They say a beautiful blessing and eat special foods. The celebrate by giving one gift each day to their children. We ate jelly donuts and potato pancakes and drank wine. Being a Christian, it was interesting to be a part of a holiday that lasts 8 days. I have read about those types of holidays in the old testament and I always wondered what that would be like. I think God really liked to party. 8 days to celebrate a small miracle like oil.

Last week I was outside praying about Adam and what God wants for him. I was praying that we would have another discussion about God, Jesus and heaven. I went inside to discover drew having that very talk with him. He was telling him about Jesus and why we believe he is the Messiah. I couldn't believe it! After a long conversation, drew wanted to anoint him with oil. Drew has a small flask of oil that he has in his backpack. I went upstairs to greet drew's parents while drew spent prayer time with adam. When I got back downstairs adam asked me if I had filled drew's flask. I told him no. Then he reminded me that drew had anointed him when we lived at kirkridge and after that the oil spilled on the floor. The flask was empty.

I looked at Adam as he was bewildered and a bit freaked out that now the flask was full. Neither he nor drew or I put oil in the flask, yet it was full to the top. We told adam God wanted to get his attention. That He was present and had wonderful things for him. That he is special and picked by God for something special. Adam was soaking it all in. What better way to celebrate 8 days of miraculous light, then to have an actual miracle happen, with oil, to someone who needed one.

Merry Chrismukkah.