Hope for Christmas

In the early morning of Friday, December 22, 1972, about 4 miles outside of Cross Plains, Texas, a truck passed a couple going at a high rate of speed and driving erratically.  A few minutes down the road as the couple topped a small hill, they saw what could only be described as a tragic, terrible accident scene. The truck had hit a car going in the opposite direction head on. As they neared the scene, they saw a young boy about 5 years old walking around next to the car. As they waited for someone to get to a phone and call the police and an ambulance, they discovered a baby about 19 months old, unharmed in the backseat. The boys in the truck were both killed on impact and the couple discovered an empty 6 pack of beer and several other empty liquor bottles in the floorboard of the truck. The driver of the car, apparently the father, was also killed on impact. The passenger, the mother of the young boys, was alive, but sadly died at the scene waiting for help. As emergency personnel arrived, they took the boys to the hospital and then placed them in foster care until their family could be notified.

Who was this young family? The father, Frank, was in his 30’s, a computer whiz who worked for IBM and had been contracted to work for NASA. He had worked on the space program, including the Apollo 13 mission.  The young mother, Cheryl, a homemaker, was busy raising two active boys. Frank had two children from a previous marriage who were now without a dad and step-mom. 

In the early afternoon, a young wife was home folding clothes and preparing for Christmas when the phone rang and the person on the other end told that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Frank and Cheryl had been killed. Surely there must have been a mistake. There was no way that her husband’s brother and his wife were gone. What about the boys?  That was all the information she was given. There is nothing harder in the world than having to tell someone news like this. She called the small church, where her husband was a pastor and told him he needed to come home and that his brother had been in an accident and he and Cheryl had been killed. The young preacher raced home, not in fear, but with resolve that he would prove this to be untrue. He simply didn’t believe it. He called the Texas Highway Department and confirmed that yes, it was true. Frank and Cheryl had been killed. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting information on the two small boys, Nick and Mike, and making arrangements for them to be reunited with the family. 

In their minds they had pictured the reunion so differently. You see, Frank and Cheryl were on their way home for Christmas. The boys were excited about seeing their brother and sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, celebrating Christmas, spending time with family and friends. How different it had all turned out.

On Saturday, the boys were brought to the family home in west Texas. Miraculously, the 19-month old, Mike, had come out of the accident with not a scratch, even though neither boy had been in a seat belt or car seat. Nick had a sprained ankle and a cut on his head requiring several stitches, but all in all, they were in good shape. Nick’s uncle and granddad thought it would be a good idea to have Nick checked out at the hospital again, just in case. On the way home from the hospital, the uncle held the boy in his lap. Nick looked up at his uncle and said

“Daddy and Mommy were hurt real bad, huh?”  The uncle looked at the boy and said “Yeah, Nick, they were hurt so bad that you’re never going to see them again until you see them in heaven.” The boy laid his head on his uncle’s shoulder and didn’t say much the rest of the day. Around 6:00 that evening, Nick crawled up in his uncle’s lap and cried as his uncle held and rocked him. There were no words spoken between these two, one grieving the loss of his big brother and one grieving the loss of his father and neither could comprehend.

On Sunday this young preacher stood before two caskets and a church full of family and friends. The feeling of loss was unfathomable. What words could he say that would possibly give them comfort and hope? Was there any hope? Yes, the answer was yes! Frank and Cheryl knew the Lord and the moment that they were absent from the body, they were present with the Lord. Jesus, the reason for Christmas in the first place, had come to earth to die on a cross for sinful men. Frank and Cheryl had accepted God’s perfect gift, the gift of salvation. The young preacher told the mourners that if they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that when they died, they would go to heaven just like Frank and Cheryl. The rest of that day was filled with sadness, tears, even some laughter, as stories were told and remembered.

On Monday, December 25^th, 1972 two parents who had lost their oldest son and sweet precious daughter-in-law celebrated Christmas, two men and their wives, who had lost their big brother and sister-in-law celebrated Christmas, four children who had lost their parents celebrated Christmas, four nieces who had lost their aunt and uncle celebrated Christmas! Why?  Because it wasn’t about us… it was about Him… it’s always only about Jesus.

This Christmas, don’t let the busyness of the season distract you from Him. There is not one decoration, one party, one gift more important than the One whose birth we celebrate.

Maybe this Christmas, you are experiencing a tragedy or loss, I understand. Even as I write this, my father-in-law is in the care of hospice. My prayer is that you, that I, let the One whom the Scripture calls Prince of Peace bring healing to our hurting hearts.

If you have never repented of your sin, acknowledged Christ as your Lord and Savior and become a wholehearted follower of Jesus, I pray you will make that decision today.

49 years have passed since that day, there are still tears and sadness, but we are not without hope, because He is faithful.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” Hebrews 10:23

 Merry Christmas!