My Dad has been telling me for several years now that he is giving me a thousand dollars.
Someday, in the year two thousand and never.
Ya see, my Dad is a promise maker, but after many, many years of broken promises, I take everything he says with a grain of salt.
He may have the best of intentions, but he never follows through.
So on Saturday, I actually received a Christmas card from him.
In shock, I quickly opened it.
Hubby watched me then started laughing as I took the opened the envelope, glanced in the card, then shook the envelope upside down.
'Still looking for that thousand dollars?'
'Course I am! Do you think MY Dad would lie?' I said, giggling.
Hubby just rolled his eyes.
In exaggerated disgust I tossed the obviously empty envelope on the table.
But really, I am just glad he thought of me, over the years, cards, letters and even phone calls have been rare things. Visits even rarer. I haven't seen my Dad in 13 years, and as for calls, I usually call him.
I want a relationship with my Dad, of course I do, especially since he was out of my life as a child.
And he is my Dad, and despite his faults, I do love him.
I have a Dad who is imperfect in his humanness, as we all are.
I accept that, he will never be the father I always lacked and always longed for. When other little girls were being tucked into bed by doting fathers, I was crying myself to sleep.
Over the years, and through the tears, I learned to turn to my real Father. One who will never break a promise, will never abandon me, will never hurt me. One who will wipe away my tears, hold me close, and give me comfort.
He is truly the Father of the fatherless.
Today is Christmas Eve, and on this day many people the world over anticipate receiving gifts. Fancy gifts, expensive gifts, homemade gifts, thoughtfully picked out gifts, weird gifts, unappreciated gifts, even ugly gifts or useless gifts that will be re gifted somewhere down the road.
But after a while, those gifts become meaningless, empty, broken and eventually forgotten and discarded.
However, there is a gift that has been bestowed upon us that will never fall apart, will never rot or rust and will never wear out.
A gift that man has anticipated since the beginning of time.
John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
On this day we celebrate His birth, but the truth goes farther, to His death that redeems us, to His rising to the right hand of the Father, and ultimately to His return to gather His own to Him.
On this day we should anticipate not only the celebration of His birth, but the promise of that great and glorious day of His return.
Although it would have been nice, I didn't receive money from my dad, that's ok, it would have only lasted for as long as it took me to spend it.
I have received a much greater gift than money, an eternal gift, the Gift of His Son, Mighty God, Lord of Lords, Emmanuel, God with us, Alpha and Omega, The Word, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.
Jesus Christ, my Savior and the Savior of the world.
She really wasn't all that happy with the whole Santa hat thing. 
