HOPE for the Holidays - Day 21

My Ben, niece Virginia, my Rebecca, and niece Tamara, 1987
(Treehouse in my parents' yard atop Lookout Mt. Fort Payne, Alabama)

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which means, 'God with us!'"(Matt. 1:23)
"O HOPE of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble..." (Jer. 14;8)





Story of HOPE:

         For my brother's 6th birthday in 1959, Daddy built a treehouse in our backyard. Although I was only three at the time, I pleaded, begged, and finally convinced my parents to let me spend the night up there that summer. On the floor of the treehouse, they fixed a comfy bed of cushions and quilts, where I snuggled in like a squirrel in her nest and soon fell fast asleep under a canopy of stars.
       When I woke up the next morning, however, I found myself not in the treehouse but inside our house in my own bed. Unbeknownst to me, Mother and Daddy had watched over me from the back porch till I went to sleep. Then, Daddy had climbed the treehouse ladder and carried his little daughter to a safe place. 

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are Immanuel - God with us, watching over and protecting us. Thank You, Jesus, that You promised to never leave or forsake Your children. You are our Savior and our HOPE in times of trouble! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

"The Lord watches over all who love Him..." (Psalm 145:20a)