Norman Rockwell Christmas
I don’t know how many of you are old enough to remember the many Norman Rockwell paintings on the covers of Saturday Evening Post Magazine. His paintings and illustrations of American culture were enjoyed by a lot of people in the 20th Century. I remember a lot of them. Recently I was at the Birmingham Art Museum for the Norman Rockwell Exhibit, and the Christmas and holiday covers especially caught my eye. Most were humorous Santa Claus or family oriented paintings. The 1930 Christmas issue particularly caught my eye though. It was not Santa oriented and not at all humorous. A medieval style knight, dressed all in black, was standing in front of and looking in to what appeared to be a stain glass window. But as you studied the painting more closely you noticed it was not stain glass that gave the window color but the colorful scene inside of eating and partying. Quite a feast was being served and here was the knight outside in the cold (snow on the window sill) and wind (the knight’s cape was blowing in the wind) looking in at this warm feast.
Please say a special prayer this Christmas for the people who have to work on Christmas Day – soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, police, firemen, ambulance drivers, doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers. And if you do meet people who have given up Christmas Day off to keep you safe, please share God’s love with them.
Dear Heavenly Father, My prayers are with those who are working hard and standing brave to protect the rest of us. For those who serve on Christmas, I thank You for their sacrifice. May You bless the paramedic that showed up at our house on Thanksgiving Day. I know that You love a faithful servant. Amen.
Rebecca Brayman
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