Martha and I have finally finished getting settled back into our home here in Greenville, but it has left very little time to decorate this year. Our grandson took very good care of our home while we both were away, and he is also attending a local technical collage. As Martha and I discussed our decorating situation this year over breakfast, three words I thought I would never hear come from her mouth, "Plastic Christmas Tree". After all the years that we have been married, never have we had a plastic tree. As she continued to explain to me of what a waste it would be to cut down one of our trees for only a few weeks. We do have five acres of trees here, but yes she was right, what a waste it would be to destroy one of our little friends. With both of us in agreement, we decided to at least have a small artificial tree for Christmas. Bundled up and heading to our local dollar stores, I spotted a pile of very nice things that someone had threw away beside the road. And sitting there in the middle of all the other nice items was a Christmas tree box that looked to be brand new. Martha turned the van around and we pulled over to make sure, and there it was, and with the tree were what seemed like new gifts.
Never have I been too proud to stop and pick up something I could use on the side of the road that someone has discarded. But something about this situation did not seem right, so I made my way to the front door and knocked to ask if this indeed was meant for the garbage man. As the door opened the occupant was a young man in his thirties, dressed in pajama bottoms and tee shirt, I asked if this was things he had threw out. The young man said, "Yes, I don't have any use for them now. My wife took the kids and left, I lost my job and I am at the end of the road now. I have no friends and no one cares if I live or die". At that very moment I knew this was where the Creator wanted me to be.
I said, "Brother, you are not at the end of the road, only at a fork in the path you walk. And I want you to know that there are two that love you - the Creator and myself". He asked if I could talk with him awhile and I agreed only if we both brought back in all the things he had put to the side of the road. I walked back to the van and told Martha to go on to the store and buy a tree, I would call her later. As he begin to tell his story to me I could see the desperation in his eyes. I never spoke a word, only listening to my new friends story as we carried piece by piece in his home. I began to tell him of the Creators love for him and that it is never to late to change the path that you are on. It has been my honor to be able to speak daily with my new friend and he has began his walk with our Creator. He relayed to me just how everything was completely different and for the first time in his life he was at peace. He had stopped drinking and was talking with his wife again. As I had told him, "There will be locked doors that will begin to open. You will again see the sunshine and a rainbow over you shoulder as long as you trust in our Creator to ever smile upon your face. - William