CHRISTMAS PAST...

 

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.  And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.  He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.  He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:19-24)

I could not wait to dig into the treasure Mom and given me; a small box of precious old Christmas decorations. With a gentle hand I adorned my own tree with these treasures and placed each one in a prominent spot wondering all the while what part in my history it secretly held. Curious, I called Mom and asked her. And I was right – there is quite a story…

I clearly remember our move from LaJunta, Colorado to Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah even though I was only five years old at the time. We were in our old blue boat of a car and pulling a U-Haul trailer. On the long drive to Dugway we planned to stop at Grandma and PopPops’ house for the night. We were on the highway between Rawlins and Bairoil and the wind was blowing as it only can in Wyoming. I recall the dark of night and the violent movement of the car and then the crash. We all got out of the car unharmed – the U-Haul, on the other hand, was on its side hanging over a large deep ditch. It was a miracle that the hitch broke the way it did otherwise, car and trailer would have gone over the edge. I remember seeing a stream of car headlights for as far as I could see on both sides of the highway…people had stopped to offer their help. My sister, brother and I were loaded up into a friend’s car and safely taken to Grandma’s house. The next morning I got up and ran to the back door and looked out – there it was, our blue family car just fine and the U-Haul – back up on its wheels but instead of a rounded top it was triangular.

Mom told me when we arrived at Dugway and they started to unload the trailer her biggest fear was looking into her box of Christmas ornaments and seeing them all destroyed…not a one was even chipped!  And, now, all these decades later I am privileged to have some of these ornaments to adorn my tree!

 My great-grandmother would decorate her tree with an array of little reindeer. When very little, my mom and her younger sister would turn out all the lights and sit by their tree under the glow of the little blue stars, snowflakes and icicles (that sadly no longer glow in the dark). I clearly remember the little elves on Grandma and PopPop’s tree all the Christmas’ we spent in their little oil-camp house in Bairoil, Wyoming. One of my favorites that I would get to place on our tree while growing up was the glittery three-tier ornaments – which Mom and Daddy bought for their first Christmas tree.

 

 

I’m so thankful that, for each year that the Lord should tarry in His return, I can open up my treasure box and remember how the Lord not only protected Mom’s box of dear Christmas ornaments on that scary night, but He also had His protective hand over each one of us and brought our family safely to our new home. You see, it was at Dugway where my mom came to know the Lord as her Savior. It was at Dugway where she and our chaplain’s wife would close the curtains, get down on their knees in that little cinder-block house and pray for the salvation of Daddy. It was at  Dugway where my brother, sisters and I would atttend Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Sunbeams and learn of the love of Jesus. It was at Dugway where I was asked as a little girl to memorize the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2; I stood in front of the entire congregation and recited it from the King James Version word for word.

So, as the Israelites would use the 12 stones as a remembrance to future generations of God’s great works and salvation – I, too, will see my little box of Christmas ornaments and remember how God kept us from harm and led our family to salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I encourage you all to remember this Christmas the reason for the season. And if you haven’t received the free gift of salvation from God – that you will do so...and see your Christmas in a new and wonderful way that you can share with the generations to come.