Ted
Engstrom told the following story:
In May of 1979,
Pat Moore,
opened the door
of her New York apartment
and stepped
nervously into the hall.
She appeared to be about eighty-five years old,
walking
carefully, hesitantly, with her cane
and then slowly,
and awkwardly
began to go down stairs
while holding the railing with her
other hand
When she got to the bottom of the stairs,
she met her
landlady who exclaimed,
"Oh, I'm
sorry, I was expecting somebody else."
"Don't you recognize me?" asked Pat,
her voice was
strained and cracked.
"No, ma'am, I don't," said the landlady,
staring at the frail woman.
"I'm Pat Moore,"
she said laughing.
As her landlady's mouth opened in disbelief,
Pat knew she had
passed the test.
You see Pat Moore was not eighty-five years old at all.
Not even close.
She was an attractive twenty-six-year-old
a specialist in
industrial design
who was concerned
about the needs of the elderly.
At least once each week for the next three years,
Pat put on her
disguise
of facial latex foam,
a heavy fabric that bound her body,
and a convincing gray wig.
She visited fourteen states as an elderly woman.
She met hundreds
of people
who never
discovered her true identity.
Pat Moore wanted a first hand experience
of what it was
like to be aging in America.
from the throne
of glory in heaven
to be born in a
stable in Bethlehem
in a way, it was
the SAME KIND of journey.
He gave up
being "in
the form of God,"
He gave up
"equality
with God"
He actually
7 ...
"emptied Himself,"
He took
"the form of
a bond-servant,"
that is, the form of a slave
He was
"made in the
likeness of men."
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled
Himself
by becoming
obedient to the point of death,
even death on a
cross.
what it was LIKE
to be human.
He knows everything,
so that wasn't
necessary.
and more
especially,
so we could know
God
He did it so we could know
how to be like
God,
and how to have
our sins washed away.
God's Son took on human flesh
and came to walk
among us.
At this time of the year many celebrate Jesus' birth
in the holiday we
call Christmas.
I suppose all of us,
observe Christmas
in some way,
if not as the specific birthday of
Christ,
at least as a family holiday.
Probably many would say
it's one of the
most POSITIVE holidays we have.
For some,
Christmas is the
HAPPIEST time of the year.
Warring armies
have stopped fighting
on Christmas day.
Hostages have
been allowed
to receive cards and gifts.
a time to relax
in happiness and good will.
when friends mix
and mingle,
exchange gifts
send cards of greeting,
It is a time for
families and memories.
Like the song says,
"I'll be home for
Christmas,"
"It's a
Wonderful Life"
and Dickens'
"A Christmas Carol"
with it's lessons from Ebenezer
Scrooge
Bob Crachet and crippled "tiny
Tim"
and the wonder in
children's eyes.
It's the glowing log in the fireplace,
and presents
under the tree.
It's street-corner caroling.
It's also a
greater awareness
of lonely souls without homes and
families.
It's a long line at the post office
with packages for
distant destinations.
It's children crowded into the family car
on the way to
Grandma's for dinner.
It's hugging and shaking hands
with cousins and
aunts and uncles.
For many people,
Christmas is a
mailbox full of greeting cards,
tempting aromas