Jesus constant in changing world

My comprehension of Jesus has evolved over the years. I knew him first as the Baby Jesus. At a young age, I knew him as Savior and through the years I have known him as Deliverer, Healer, Adviser and Comforter.

He is not the One that has changed — I have only grown in my awareness of him as he has revealed himself to me.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is not like the lives we lead here on earth that are always changing. The following story about one Christmas season illustrates that concept.

More than 35 Christmas seasons ago, Annie and John Scott asked for new bicycles for Christmas. At that time, we lived on the other side of town in a newly developed area. Behind our house was a giant dirt pile where the contractors had leveled off the lots to build new homes. Our children were little and the attraction of this dirt pile was thoroughly unique to them. They quickly began to refer to it as “the mountain.”

It was only a huge glorified dirt heap, but that made no difference to our two. They told everyone at school they had a mountain behind their house.

The mountain was a place of great adventure. Annie and John Scott pushed their little bikes up the hill and then rode down its sides.

At other times, rain came and the children concocted a remarkable plan. The sides of the dirt pile would become really slick. That’s when the kids discovered they could slide tummy down to the bottom. This made a huge mess with mud in their hair and all over their clothes, but getting muddy was all part of the wonderful experience.

The mountain was the center of many events. We held a mini-cookout on the side of the mountain, complete with hot dogs and marshmallows. With some imagination, the mountain was a mighty hill to see afar, eyeing pretend desperadoes across the way.

Sometimes the dirt pile was a mountain thick with jungle brush and fierce dangers down below. The mountain had great intrigue and the mountain was why they asked for new sturdier bikes that Christmas.

Yet, it all changed one day. We were coming home from school and as we turned onto our street, what we saw was something that upset us all: there was a dump truck and a big front-end loader.

Our wonderful mountain was being scooped away little by little. When we left for school that morning the dirt pile was a lookout for desperadoes but by that afternoon it was really only a little dirt pile. All day long the men had whittled away at it and, as a result, a chapter closed on a wonderful play place.

That was a disappointing day for all of us. When the children received bikes that Christmas, there was no mountain to ride down. They had to adapt to the change and find a new place to ride their new bikes. This unanticipated and unexpected experience thrust the children into the reality of living in a world that changes daily.

Many years have passed since that year of the mountain and the bicycles given as Christmas gifts. That experience helps me to remember that life changes; our lives never do say the same.

The shepherds and wise men and others are in eternity. The manger that was the bed for the Christ child has long since vanished into dust. The only constant of that entire story is God’s love that brought a Savior into the world to save all who will call upon him.

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is the light of the world (John 8:12), and the gate to eternal life (John 10:9).

This Christmas season reminds Jesus is the only constant in a world that is constantly changing.

Judy Brandon writes about faith for the Clovis News Journal. Contact her at:

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