Today began at 4 A.M. when I woke up to the annoying buzz of the alarm clock. Normally that buzzing sound puts me in the worst of moods. Today the rude noise excited me. Let the journey begin!

My DH and I drove out of our garage at 5:09 and put Asheville behind us around 8 o’clock. The phone rang and my older son reported in from south of Chicago. The second group of travelers, driving south to rendezvous with us in Memphis, consisted of my son and his wife. All is well. Plans seemed to be on target.

At 11:30 the phone rang again. This time my younger son reported in. He and his buddies had left the ski slopes of West Virginia. We discussed his 3 days of skiing, the conditions of the slopes, the restaurants, and his plans to join us on Sunday at my mother’s on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

Get the picture – a car travels west though TN and one travels south through IL. On Sunday a plane will wing its way through the sky and land in NW AR.

Right about now I feel like the Wise Men traveling, following the same star, searching for a place to lay down our TREASURE.

Each one of us has a different expectation, I am sure.

I know Aaron’s TREASURE will be the gift of listening. He has been anticipating his grandmother’s stories. Not only does he want to hear the tales once again, but he longs for his young bride to learn more about the family’s history.

Benjamin’s TREASURE will be the gift of his presence. The past 6 years of his life have been consumed with high school sports and now his college studies ( with a lot of play thrown in, I’m sure.) His schedule has not allowed him to venture far from home. His visit to his grandmother’s after not having seen her for many years will be a gift of great joy.

Campbell’s TREASURE will be the gift of provision. Without his generous contributions toward each of our voyages, our Christmas Journey would not be possible.

And my TREASURE? The gift of prayer. I ask the Good Shepherd to go before us to make the rough places smooth. I ask the Prince of Peace to fill each heart and the home where we congregate with His presence. I ask the King of Kings to reign over our celebration reminding us that our love for one another is the TREASURE He desires. I pray that the next several days will be filled with thoughts toward others’ wellbeing, not our own comfort. I pray that long after this week has come and gone, that we would remember the wonderful gift of family, Christian legacy, and unconditional love. I pray that the quiet moments we spend in each other’s company would strengthen us to move into the New Year with resolve to glorify God in our service to one another.

And I pray that all your Christmas expectations be met as you focus on Jesus' birth day.


Bearing Gifts We Travel so Far