Matthew 2:13-15 ~ Out of Egypt I called my son †

View of Israel from Mount Nebo. Where Moses stayed instead of entering the Promised Land. Here 2 Maccabees 2:4-9 records Jeremiah hiding the Ark of the Covenant before the Babylonian invasions.

Matthew 2:13-15

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”


God's plan can unfold quickly like an earthquake, tsunami or gently. 

Having spent 4 years of my childhood in Nice, France, I appreciate the outdoors because our house was dark in France, but the living room wall of windows facing the Mediterranean was a constant changing display of light and color. Outdoors was much more pleasant and I was out there every day. So many vivid colors and foods. We lived in the Pennsylvania mountains, at the end of the Beautiful and Amazing Appalachian mountains, for 4 years in steel mill country where Lake Erie left snow for sometimes 9 months on the ground, waist high. This is where people matter to each other and because cabin fever will get you.

God's child could have grown up regretting leaving prosperous Egypt and feeling like a sulky Goth teenager. This could have been brutal to Mary and Joseph.

It's up to us to feel gratitude for a change in circumstance, good or bad. 

Jesus knew what it was to be a foreigner in a foreign land. There might have been Jews to help Joseph find work. Or Joseph was left, with God's help, to manage for his family and find work with skill and patience. Mary might have had women to visit with to raise her family. Or she might have spent time with Jesus. Would the little Egyptian children have enjoyed Jesus. We know they did.

Jesus doing the work of God. Not jumping into the fray with all the other Salmon, just swimming up stream. Jesus finding the path of peace, ways of mercy. Inclusion. Purity. Love, joy, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

God didn't give Jesus the typical Jewish upbringing. The History of God's works was important to give His Son.

For years, our lives, we have remarked were 50 years living in Texas. Few changes. And gradually my huge family in Dallas, of Richardsons, mostly aged and died or moved. About the time the last of them died, we moved to the Houston area.

The Pandemic hit and we did a lot of being at home and talking on the phone to family. Putting together some relationships that had mostly died off.  The glory of renewal and then ridiculous arguments when we have to be both love ourselves and others. Being tender. Being strong, trying again.

Pandemics have a historic trend: Fear, Compliance, ANGER, crazy blaming blaming, change, blame, radical actions, suffering, healing healing. Solutions, Mankind innovates upward in God's Glory in Hope and Future. 

This is how our year blending into Advent began: 32 trips to Dallas, 5 months sorting out my mother's house. Edward's mom suddenly became frail in Dallas as well. 15,000 miles on our car. 6 moving trucks. 5 times we filled (my mother's house since 1981) and took 5 entire garage loads to be thrown in the dumpster. 1 and 1/2 times filled the garage to go to Salvation Army with good things to be shared. 

Then in October, my mom became a husk of a shell of old. She couldn't walk, talk or remember her children. Then Covid. We had a philanthropic DG, played wonderful music to the Care Facility. Then Edward's mom moved to care in the whirled wind. Another set of situations from that. 

With time out for my mother to pass on. I felt we had started Advent, now, we could have some breathing space. Except Edward was having vertigo from earphones. It was the beginning.

And like the most excellent Theophilus, I had to really sort the facts out of the swift moving events carefully.  

1. One huge rift healed. Some of my family I couldn't even get them to answer a phone message. And others hadn't seen them, even close relationships.  Even with some pretty rude discussions. Love yourself, love one another and only accept what is good. But since the Pandemic, we had begun to talk and enjoy each other again.

2. Then two new cases of Covid, not related to last week's 2 family deaths of Covid, 3 counties apart. 4 Cases of Covid. 2 were fatal. Now, my mom's house in Dallas had seen Covid with isolation happening there. Just as the moving truck company failed to come through with the moving truck.  And our friend who had redone my mom's kitchen, and painted, was having to go and get her things from the care facility and put them in the garage.  But now my family had Covid in her house.  And we had to reschedule the first Memorial Service scheduled.

3. Now a new rift that was huge had opened up and this was Terrible. Totally hurtful. Within our family of four. We don't always get along with people we love. We can't seem to please them. And friends told us it wasn't our fault and offered to help.  This was the worst. And we did not give up and continued to work on texting calmly and telephone peacefully. By the time of my mother's memorial, we were getting along. And the two with the trouble sat for 2 and a half hours the day after the memorial and discussed with calm.

4. Then Edward's family had yelling and screaming.  Different from number 3, not since Padre Island, 1986. I didn't attend, knowing turbulence needed to stay with the siblings and not the in-laws.

5. Then a week to figure out all the logistics of the Memorial Service for someone who had been in Dallas for 82 years and at her Church for 7 decades.  Trying to figure this out.

6. Then family couldn't come at the last minute because we now had an ICU family member out of state. And this was for one week in ICU.

6a. This caused me to have fever and have a whole bottle of Pepto Bismal. Drooping all weeknend. 

7. We had to do everything in twos this year and we had someone mad at us. With Estate division. We aren't in charge. Another ICU, this one in Texas. Both are young people. 

8. Less family gathered for the Memorial and more far-flung family came! And more of Mother's friends attended than expected. This Memorial was now on High Emotional Status. And we were all praying for our ICU Family.

8a. The Funeral Home stayed open an hour and a half late because we were in a traffic jam, we needed Mother's remains for the Memorial Service. Amazing Kindness.

8b. A back door lock failed, medical necessity was the only thing missing. Then a bag from a fully laden car was missing from a family outing in Dallas.

9. The Rift in Number 3 began to heal. And then, of course, we have to have disagreements to make sure it isn't all good.  And work was done to repair with comfort given.

10. By and large, the people who aren't just wretched people who enjoy sadness (this is an unexpected aspect of death, to find out), really personally went out of their way to make sure all of this upheaval had the warmth of Human Nature applied to our family. The comfort began to be the Hope of Pandemic and all the Upheaval will leave.

11. With 6 moving trucks and my sons deciding what to do with family things, we have upheaval in the house and Christmas is delayed. Sometimes because you need to sit in the chair and list to one side.

12. The Memorial was a lot of food, cleaning, calls and planning, but the love we had was wonderful and the people who attended had a really good time gathering. We all enjoyed each other.  Family dinners happened, the weekend was beautiful.

And my family could use your prayers. For the Rift, for the healed Rift. For the yelling. For the listing in the chair and the 6 moving vans with items.  Please pray for us, with your love. We would appreciate this. 

When my daughter passed on in 2008, someone very dear sat down and told me when death happens, people sometimes run away. Part of death sorts clearly who was waning and not really part of our lives.  A lot of times this leaves another aspect needing a bandage.

This Season, when we look at what has happened, we are on the dry side of the Hurricane. And this has been a Blessing. My mother lived as long as health was in her body, she just had used up all her facilities and now the end was mercy.  And in all the illness she had, so many were willing to say this was a long haul of hard work.  My brother really stepped up and made sure this didn't overwhelm me. I feel like I've been giving a glorious prize in life to have this help.

My sons are now fully grown with careers, they made time to gather together, even traveling from far away.  The people who came to the Memorial were wonderful to see again. My mother's friends generate hope. Some are 92 and some are 88 years old and as vibrant as they were in their 40s. 

Heaven on earth.

My mother's house is resplendent again. She loved to have parties when she was well. She had a certain style and this created the buffet lunch we had.  To see her house sparkling again, to gather the friends who had joined us for decades, was to have a glimpse of her Heaven. Sparkling.

We had family in ICU, but we were all joined in our concern. We all lived past difficulties we know now in our 5th decade of life and have the fortitude to keep going. By now, we understand who we are and how we can and can't help each other. We were more united again since my parent's divorce now with 40 years of healing. 

What used to be tender, when rifts set in, is now the understanding of different human natures. Seen as apart, but not so wounding.  Rather, now merely a split in the road as the journey progresses.  Without rancor, but without distress. 

What I have now is Hope. Hope the difficulties have proven us to be enduring. Loving. Kind. And not blown by this or that opinion or just wind.  God has been faithful and we have not come this far to be dropped badly on our cranium.  God is Love and Encouragement. He has built in us Hope and Strength in the Joy of His Love. 

Yes, this is Christmas. Let all the earth Rejoice. 

Abba, Father,

Jesus has taught our hearts

to Pray with Hope. 

To know the Scriptures, to know the Power of God.

The Steadfast Love of God. 

We thank You in Jesus Christ for our blessings of Strength and fire in the Holy Spirit.

 Fire millenniums ago, Moses found to be a sustaining fire of infinite beauty. 

Blessed are You, Lord God.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit fire within us.

Bless the Nations, Light of the Nations, to have Your Mercy.

Jesus Christ Light of the world.

Jesus Christ Light of mankind.

 In Jesus. Amen.

… Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21

…His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Might God,
…The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6


… God hath made that same Jesus… both Lord & Christ Acts 2:36


…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! John 1:29


…they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, the song of The Lamb Revelation 15:3


…Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelation 5:5


..and the Bright & Morning Star Revelation 22:16


..and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life 1 John 1:1


…we have and advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ The Righteous 1 John 2:1


…whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us. Luke 1:78


…Before Abraham, I Am. John 8:58


…And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1: 34

…are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25


…We have found the Messiah which, is being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41


…I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6


…through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 2: 20


..a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16


…I am the Light of the World… John 8:12


…I am Alpha & Omega the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is,

and which was, and which is to come The Almighty Revelation 1:8

One of the most ancient of Christian inscriptions, 

God fishes among the Living!

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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