Ten-year-old Abigail pressed her pug nose against the cold living room window and sighed, steaming up the glass with her breath. She could barely see the snowflakes, illuminated by the moon’s light, fall gently upon the already snow-covered ground.
When will he come, she wondered. What is keeping him?
Abigail knew her dad would somehow make it through the blizzard forecasted for the night, and his visit would make it the best Christmas ever. She was counting on him being there since it had been three years when they last saw each other.
Abigail turned around. She looked back at her ailing five-year-old brother, Jonathan, who laid wrapped in a blanket on the couch near the crackling fireplace. Mom, sitting nearby, dabbed his feverish forehead with a damp cloth.
Dad has to make it, Abigail whispered to herself. He promised he would be here to celebrate Jonathan’s survival to perhaps his last holiday on earth. If he didn’t come, she didn’t know how she would ever forgive him. She barely forgave him for leaving them in the first place.
Suddenly, she heard a car crunch its way into the driveway.
Is it him? Is it Daddy?
Abigail whipped back around and vigorously wiped the remnants of her breath off the window. She peered outside and saw a man open the driver’s side car door and get out.
“It’s Daddy. Daddy is here!”
Abigail opened wide the front door as her dad walked inside. She jumped into his arms and felt the painful years of his absence melt away by the warmth of his embrace. In response to her behavior, her father said: “Daddy is home now. All will be well.”
Christmas should be a joyful celebration for everyone. However, for some, it can be a depressing ordeal to endure. If you are facing an insurmountable situation or struggling with hardship this time of year, may you find solace in the warmth of God’s embrace. As he cradles you in his arms, may you hear him whisper in your ear: “Daddy is here, now. All will be well.”
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