Immanuel

I remember one night, when I was very young that I had a terrible nightmare.  I had dreamed that my dad passed away.  I was in such turmoil, I woke from my nightmare, tears streaming down my face.  My heart was in such pain and agony.  I laid there looking into the darkness.  The dream was so real, that I didn’t know if it had actually happened or if it was just a dream.  I laid there and cried.  I wanted to get up and go to my dad’s room, but I was afraid he wouldn’t be there.  Even remembering the dream now, brings tears.

Finally I got up and walked to my parent’s door.  There room was right next to mine, but it seemed forever as I slowly crept into the hallway.  I stood there for a long time, wiped my eyes and took a deep breath. Gently I grabbed the handle and twisted the knob.  If he was there I dared not wake him up.  Quietly I opened the door, there was my mom lying asleep, she slept closest to the door.  I looked over for my dad.  My heart fell, he was not there.  I stood there frozen.

Then I heard him whispering from the kitchen, “Hey little buddy, what’s wrong?”  Man! I turned and saw him standing in the entrance to the dining area, and ran and put my arms around him and cried.  He picked me up and held me tight.  I told him about my dream.  He took me and laid me back in bed, and told me, “You don’t need to worry, I am with you, right here.”  Then he laid beside me until I fell asleep.  When I awoke the next morning, he was still there.  He was late to work, just to let me know he was with me.

I never miss the point in that.  It may seem silly, but every time I read in Matthew 1:23 where the angel tells Joseph that Mary is having a baby sent by the Lord and that he will be called Immanuel (God with us), I can remember the security of the feeling of my dad saying that he is with me and his big arms holding me, and how good it felt to wake up and know that he loved me enough to stay with me through the night.

This is the same love that our heavenly father has for us.  This year when you read the Christmas story and read through the verses, remember that God not only came here to be with us while Jesus was incarnate , but that he is risen from the grave, and that He is still with us.  When your done reading about the wise men and the shepherds, and the little baby in the manger turn over and read Matthew 28:20 where Jesus says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Kiss your loved ones, and tell the Lord, thanks for always being there, even when He didn’t need to be.

Merry Christmas,-Harvey