A Manger Moment Day 24

The year was 1995, Trey was 3 months old, it was December 15, I was in the Air Force, and I was boarding a plane to Germany to be involved in Operation Joint Endeavor. I would miss my first born son’s first Christmas. Duty called and I knew sacrifices was part of the military. Keep in mind that Cindy and I talked about 15 min every now and then and there definitely wasn’t FaceTime back then. Old fashioned mailed printed photos was the way we kept in touch. When Christmas came I was by myself in my room in a bomb shelter truly regretting deployment. However, when I came back 4+ months later I experienced something awesome. Trey now nearly 8 months old remembered who I was. He was so excited we played together all night long. I don’t even remember falling asleep that night. It was incredible.

Many historical narratives tell of soldiers' celebrations of Christmas during wartime. In particular, accounts of Christmas celebrations during the First World War describe soldiers from across the battlelines sharing food, singing hymns, and spending time at rest with each other. The correspondence of Henry Williamson recalls a ceasefire on the Western Front on Christmas Day, 1914. He wrote to his mother not long after that, "On Xmas eve both armies sang carols and cheered & there was very little firing." Later, after the war, reflecting on the experience, he expressed hope. "Yet we still hope—those who were there—the living and the dead—that the vision of peace we lived during those few rare hours may be made real and everlasting"

The fact of reunion is at the core of Christmas. God repairing the distance between Him and us through the baby in a manger. The excitement in Trey that great reunion day showed me the picture of what Spiritual reunion should be. Hope realized.

Merry Christmas, P Richie