Christmas growing up in the Mississippi Delta was wonderful. I didn’t know that it was different. The harvest had just come in; cotton, soy beans, rice and silage, and we usually had experienced a few frosty mornings. It seemed that most everything began to revolve around Main St., the levee at Lake Ferguson and Deer Creek. Greenville, MS was as magical as Disney World if you were a little kid and had never seen Disney World. Main St., back in those days, was decorated beautifully and we actually went window shopping, sometimes ending up at the church (my dad always had a reason to stop by the church and check on things) or looking at decorations on the Levee.
Deer Creek was Leland, MS’s centerpiece at Christmas time. It was simply a creek running through flatlands with homemade Christmas floats anchored down somehow. They were illuminated, always the same, and fun to look at from the car windows. It probably took 12 minutes to see them all! What a night! My Mom always made a huge deal about everything, with hot chocolate, decorations and neighbor-drop-offs.
Neighbor drop-offs were candies, peanut brittle and an occasional fig cake for very important people. (This fig cake was and still is famous around the church and my family.) My Dad who could have easily run for Mayor, was Minister of Music and Administration at First Baptist Church in Greenville, MS for 50+ years. Some say he was the first full-time Minister of Music in the state, starting in 1954 in his 20’s. He was a churchman, a friend, a joke teller and great musician, planner and organizer. My Mom was the perfect match and companion. Both were (my Mom still is living and still creative) extremely creative and well-loved. They loved on just about everybody that would let them, of all walks of life and races. I thought everyone’s life was magical with lots of friends, Firestone Christmas albums playing on a huge stereo in the home, lots of baking, wrapping, and taking things to the janitor of the church and his family at Christmas time. I thought everyone’s Mom made angel costumes, shepherd head pieces and fed 50-60 teenagers for dinner after youth choir practice on Sunday afternoons. My sister and I were tortured by having to dress up in the heat of August for my Dad to take our pictures for the upcoming FORBUS CHRISTMAS CARD.
Jesus was the central character, Christmas music was the underscoring, and church candles painted the backdrop for growing up in the Delta. My parents’ year long benevolence got really ramped up at Christmas time. Homeless folks dropped by the church while I was there with my Dad and I watched him always do extra for them.
Never snow, but quite a magical remembrance, are the visions I recall. I could stand on the front steps of the church and see to the left across the street the Catholic Church and to the right the Jewish Synagogue. The Methodist Church was one street over. I can remember times when the church bells were in competition! Jesus was the reason for such memories. I was saved and baptized in that church.
I’m hoping many of the students who came to Christ this school year will find that Jesus changes their “scenery” at Christmas. No matter how lonely, dysfunctional the home may be; a saved teenager has a great chance to celebrate this Christmas. The Christ of Christmas changes everything and makes it spiritually magical wherever we find ourselves.
Nancy and I wish you all a Christ-filled Christmas. Never stop praying for the students of America to find Him! We need your support to see that every student has a chance to experience the Gospel.
Rick Forbus, PhD
President and CEO
rick@fpofamerica.com
