Christmas Angels... don't you love em?

What was your favorite Christmas memory? The question has been posed to me. There was the year of the Barbie dream house.  It even had an elevator. Then there was the year of the guinea pig, yup you guessed it somehow little Squeakers survived the flight on the sleigh and found a place under my tree. Memories of the kids first Christmas’ and watching them open gifts they have hoped would be in the pretty packaging. However, ironically my favorite Christmas happened during my worst year. 2001. I was recently divorced and even more recently informed my son was autistic. 

Only a month before Christmas I was at the edge of homelessness and God showed up. (Insert Thanksgiving story, if you haven’t heard it you will have to wait for Thanksgiving) Since He had performed a Thanksgiving miracle I knew that God would take care of us but just wasn’t sure what that would look like and how it would happen.  

The month of December began with my friends (church and work) asking if they could help my family out with some Christmas gifts. A week later a parent of my long time best friend asked if she could take me shopping to pick out clothes for the kids and some gifts. I came home with bags of gifts and a Cub gift care that would provide food for at least the month of December!  A couple of days before Christmas gifts were delivered by some angels (disguised as my friends) and when they said “some” they were LYING! Truckloads of gifts were delivered. Some other friends invited me to a traditional Christmas family celebration at their parent’s home, there my children were guests of honor, loved on, given gifts and I was even forced to try Lutefisk. YUCK! :)  In their home I was family. Christmas morning we opened gifts for what seemed like hours. The kids had more gifts that year than every birthday and Christmas they have ever had combined. They still reference it as the Christmaspalooza. 

In the worst of times yet it was the best of times. After Thanksgiving God promised me that if I gave Him the reins He would not let me down. Through these most amazing people God was able to tell me this.

Lisa I love you. I love Mikaela, I love Ben, I love Faith. I love you so much. I know sometimes you feel so lonely. I also know that you trust me but sometimes you need a little reinforcement. I know all your needs so I have sent you all these amazing people, people who love me and love you. Stop for a minute, take it in, look around and see what I have done. I love you. 

Christmas happened so that we would have Jesus, (God with us) thanks to that Christmas 2001 I am reminded that God is always with me, wherever I am and wherever I go. No guinea pig could ever beat that! I pray God is able to remind you of the same this Christmas! 

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!