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“Wake-up Sleepy Head. Rise and shine!” I pulled the covers over my head trying to silence the accented voice that appeared intent on interrupting my sleep.
'Go away!' I tried to say but the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps muffled by the down duvet.
The soft and lyrical voice of the intruder began to sing a sweet and tender melody. The words were foreign, yet intriguing all the same.
'Had my alarm clock sprung to life?' I wondered.
I peeked out from under the covers and what did I see?
Wiping the sleep dust from my eyes, I wondered, 'Oh my, how can this be?'
A golden-haired lassie, with a wreath of four iridescent candles upon her head had swept into my room, with a fragrant basket of cardamom-laced muffins.
She wore a flowing, white gown with a crisp peppermint and white candy-striped apron with ruffles.
'Why surely I must be dreaming.' I thought as the scene shifted as if I were looking through a kaleidoscope.
My dad, a grizzly bear of a man, then emerged on the scene, in an eccentric velvet and fur tuxedo.
'Oh no!' I thought, 'I don’t want him to attend my graduation dressed like this. Why can’t he just wear one of his more conservative suits, and not stand out from the crowd?'
But no sooner had I registered that critical thought, that the magic ended and I awakened to just another December 2006 Tallahassee morning.
In those fleeting moments, having just dreamt of someone whose spirit now lives on the other side of Heaven, I couldn’t help but to find a sweet and lingering joy, from the illusive and wacky seconds of a dream where a loved one returns to life.
'Is there a message?' I asked.
'What am I graduating from anyway?' My mind pondered as I recalled other vibrant dreams where my dad returned to life. Like the time when I was getting out of the catering business and dreamt that I had a big snake wrapping itself around my legs. In a blood-curdling cry, I yelled at the top of my lungs one word: DADDY! And out of the mysterious depths of the unknown, my dad appeared and tore the snake in two.
In my desperation, I called and he came to my rescue. Sure it was just a dream, yet I cannot help to realize how symbolic that dream was, not only of my earthly dad, but even more so, of the Heavenly Father and the true meaning of Christmas.
In this season, when so many people around the world celebrate of The Birth of Jesus- The Prince of Peace, I see a parallel.
Christmas is about the love of a Father that cared so much for all of his children, everywhere that he sent a Savior, the only real Savior that can rip the snake apart with his bare hands.
Of course, it is good to ask for help.
Rather like the On Star in many cars today. In my last vehicle, I didn’t want to activate mine. The monthly fees were more than I wanted to pay. And yet, even without paying for the service, if I elected to do so, I could still access the gift of the On Star and call for help, if needed.
God is like that…built right into the rich garden of our souls, miraculously able to be accessed by us, by simply calling on him for guidance and direction. He is a God of treasures, beyond all imagination, and a most personal and relevant divine tour guide, guiding us through the sometimes treacherous terrain of life on to a promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Are you hungry for real holiday magic?
In my opinion, there is nothing more magical than spending time alone with The Prince of Peace - the one who was sent to bridge the differences, heal the rifts and deliver the promise.
During this season of introspection, I long for finding my way to that land of milk and honey. Yet in recent years, I’ve awoken to the realization that no matter how hard I try, I can’t do it on my own. I need help. I need a SAVIOR! I need a Prince of Peace!
That is what Christmas is all about… Celebrating The Birth of The Savior.
It is far too easy to get caught up in the superfluous and lose sight of the real importance of Christmas. To race with insanity through the seasonal decathlon from party to party, store-to-store, obligation to obligation…when all we really need to do is BE STILL and SAVOR HIM! I hope that you and yours take the time to dine on the unequalled and delicious divinity of this season and that the heavenly taste will linger on your taste buds throughout the New Year! Merry Christmas!
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