Divine Appointments: A Cherished Christmas Memory From My Childhood

One of my Christmas traditions is to post this cherished childhood memory! I hope it is a blessing to each of you!

When I was growing up our family would often make the long trek from the East coast to the West coast to spend the Christmas holidays with my Grandma and Grandpa Lewis who lived in North Hollywood, CA.

I loved that cross country trip – and I especially loved it at Christmas time. We would drive late into the night, sometimes driving all night. As dusk would fall we’d start to see the Christmas lights coming on in town after town throughout America. Dad would tune into Christmas music on the radio and we’d all sing Christmas carols with the twinkling Christmas lights brightening our way!

The miles and hours would fly by and soon the lights were being extinguished and then the only lights we had were the beautiful stars shining above us.

There’s one year that particularly stands out in my memory… or rather I should say there’s one experience on one of these trips that deeply touched me and all these years later I still look back on it and find tears in my eyes. I was about 7 or 8 years old when this happened.

It must have been really late – after midnight for sure – my dad was driving and my mom and sister and I had all been dozing in the car. We were out west somewhere maybe New Mexico or Arizona – I’m not sure.

I woke up when my dad pulled into an all night gas station (a rarity back in those days). My dad’s window was rolled down and I was in the seat behind his. I didn’t say anything or even move – I just laid there and listened as an old man came out to pump our gas.

My dad began talking to the old man… sir what are you doing way out here late at night pumping gas… the old man began to talk in a gentle voice… he explained that God had called him to minister to a group of Native Americans who had never had a pastor of their own. He had left a high paying job to move to this little place and he supported himself and the church by pumping gas late at night. My dad was quiet and then said – but why did you do it? You had a beautiful home and a good paying job, why would you come to the middle of nowhere, work harder than you ever have before for little recognition and no monetary reward?

At that point I pulled myself up a little to peek out the window – I saw this old man with tears streaming down his face look toward Heaven and say – you see son, I have an invitation to a wedding… and what a wedding it will be… I just have to take as many people with me as possible. I looked at my daddy and tears were rolling down his face (and mine too). My dad embraced the old man and paid him far more than the gas cost and said let me help you take some people to the wedding feast!!

Dad laid hands on the old man and prayed for him and blessed him in the name of the Lord.

Then dad got back in the car, humming ‘O Come Let Us Adore Him’… honestly I think even the stars were shining brighter. I fell asleep thinking how this one man was willing to lose what he could not keep to keep what he could not lose!

I’ll never forget that old man in the gas station – I’m sure there must have been a celebration in Heaven when he arrived! He wasn’t famous or rich or powerful on earth but in the corridors of Heaven they know his name!!