I shared Christmas Eve, that the little girl inside me was craving something she suspected she might not get?
A few days ago, I was searching frantically for my last set of car keys, in the midst of being Santa. (I'd lost the "good" set earlier this summer.)
When I did not find the keys, my kind husband went to the car dealer next day with our last remaining key (this one can't simply be copied at the hardware store). He paid $99 for a new key, thinking to himself, "Now that I have a new key, I am sure to find V's keys!"
He also decided that day to repair a rickety wooden stepladder. I secretly thought it not worth repairing. But an endearing quality of DH is his desire to "fix" things, so I let him be. Off he went to Lowe's for parts. On the way home, one part got "lost" in the truck. He went searching for that part, squeezed in between the seats. And found the keys I'd lost last summer!
He shared this find with our son. Son decided that this near-new set of keys should be a Christmas surprise, stocking stuffer. The boys re-used a nice gift-box, and slipped my keys securely in the "display slot." They wrapped the box, and kept quiet. A twelve-year-old does that well.
My inner child was praying for something special at Christmas.
Was that little girl ever pleased to receive not only a complete surprise, but a special miracle story as well. A story that I am going to tell in full detail to a few more friends. THIS is exactly the kind of present I love!
There is also something very special about the smell of balsam fir on Christmas day. A day gray and replete with needed rains. Full of quiet reflection and mellow cups of coffee.
I forgot to mention that our car also asked for a surprise this Christmas. A new manifold. I guess the blessing was that, because of the missing key, we DISCOVERED the cracked manifold and can replace it, so as not to have a another surprise on an anticipated road trip.
Yes, there is a little sum of money between us and resolving the problem... That will wait...
