World Renewal International

One of the best memories for me about my grandpa Milner was Christmas. Christmas Eve was usually when we would gather with my Aunt Bernice, mom’s sister, her husband Robert Wright who was dad’s oldest brother, my cousins Max, Susan, Joan and Donna. [Granpa Milner handing me a present, Donna watching and sister Joan] We would have Christmas Eve at the Milner’s house in Wilkinson.
The anticipation of this evening had been building for months. I could hardly wait for my cousins to arrive. I loved them dearly and enjoyed being with them. Still do.
The meal was fantastic. We had great cooks. However, the best was the talk and stories around the table. The adults usually told stories about the past and various events. They were usually stories we had heard before however they were told well and with great laughter. I believe it was here I fell in love with storytelling. It was so fun and interesting to me. Of course all three families loved Jesus. Parts of the stories were Him and how our family members walked with Him. Again, overhearing the gospel is so powerful. Here, we children overheard how the life in Christ was lived out and verbally expressed. Daily, back at home we saw it lived. All three families were deeply involved in ministry therefore that was a part of the stories too. It was a wonderful place to be, I think we kids knew it was and even appreciated it at the time.
It was the protocol; no presents could be opened until all the dishes were washed. It seemed to me that our family was cursed with the slowest dishes washers in the world. We children we very anxious to open presents but we had to wait. Finally, the dishes were done, but now grandpa had devotions. He was such a meticulous man and he seemed to work hard to make the Christmas story from the Bible fresh and new each year.
Meanwhile, we kids were ready for presents. Once again there was something else, prayer. After, the Bible was read grandma would ask all of us to get in a circle for prayer. They even asked us to hold hands. I could tell that even the adults didn’t want to do this. Yet we all did what the old people wanted to do. Why? We loved them so much, so we were going to do what they wanted.
I recall that circle the last several times we did it. Grandpa must have sensed that time was bringing it to an end. He looked us all in the eye with his blue eyes and said, “Now I do not want this circle broken, I want us all together in heaven.” He then made sure we knew what it took to get to heaven. Wow! It was powerful then and maybe even more now.
Well, all in that circle walk with the Lord Jesus. We are invested heavily in spreading the Jesus Joy we experienced in that little house in Wilkinson, IN around the world. Several are now in heaven and we miss them but we are trying to widen the circle with our children and grandchildren. I just wanted you to know.