Other than
some coughs and colds that we either transported from the U.S. or were gifted
with as we arrived in Germany, the trip was absolutely great. I won’t go into
detail about the culinary experiences. However, I did learn a few things. Did
you know, for instance, that while mainly known for its very important role in
World War II, the city of Nuremberg is also the birthplace of the bratwurst? Or
that Nuremberg makes a similar claim regarding Lebkuchen, a wonderful gingerbread cookie? They are very serious about bratwurst in Nuremberg. They insist that authentic
brats are small links, served three to a bun. Local restaurants have to earn a
seal verifying that the brats they serve meet their high standards. Of course,
we found brats of all kinds and lots of other great food and drink, as well as
lots of handicrafts at the Christkindlmarkts in every city we visited. 
While
exploring the food, drink and beauty of Germany at Christmas was great fun,
what made this trip so special was the fact that the five of us were together
virtually “24/7” for two entire weeks. Unprecedented territory for the Herman
family! In a Chevy Chase movie, this would certainly have been a recipe for
disaster. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. In spite of tight quarters and all
of us riding in Kris’ car for our numerous excursions, and the occasional need
to have an extra measure of patience with each other, it was so nice to be
together. Given our busy lifestyles and the fact that we live so far from each
other (Deb and I are in Illinois and Katie and Tony live in California), this
time together was a very unique opportunity – one we most likely won’t be able
to pull off many more times. Our time together helped me appreciate anew God’s
gift of family and the blessing of my wonderful wife, daughters and new
son-in-law, who courageously agreed to spend two weeks in close quarters with
his in-laws! I was also reminded of God’s gift of family when we worshipped on Christmas Eve at a community church in the town of Ramstein. You may recognize the name of this town. It is home to one of the largest U.S. Air Force bases in the world. We joined about 300 members of the military and their families. I sometimes forget how young most members of our military are! And if the number of small children present was any indication, having kids while in service to our country is a very popular pastime! It was an energetic and noisy worship service with the wonderful sounds of children and moms and dads singing Christmas hymns and listening to the Christmas story from Luke 2, as read by several of the children. Being with these people from far away places who gathered to worship the baby Jesus seemed so fitting as we heard Luke’s description of Jesus’ introduction to His mother and father and the extended family of people who came from all around to see Him in the manger:
While they were
there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a
son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no
guest room available for them. When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us
about.” So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
The Chevy Chase “Vacation” movies and other family comedies wouldn’t be so popular unless they reflected the reality of how challenging family life can really be. So as we thank God for the gift of family, let’s also give thanks for the professionals and volunteers who dedicate their lives to encouraging, supporting and helping families be all that God intends them to be. May your family be a source of joy, love, peace, forgiveness, health and healing throughout the new year!
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