The Edwards family enjoyed one of those picture perfect Christmas days. Taylor, Tucker, and Turner woke up at 1:00 a.m. They were so excited just staring at all the brightly colored packages delivered under the tree after they went to bed initially. I got up and told them we were not opening gifts that early. They never went back to bed.
Brenda and I got up at 6:00 a.m. We read from Luke 2 then went around the room praying. The boys prayed some really mature prayers. We then sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then the gift opening began. All the guys were so excited to see Brenda open her gifts. She got ear rings, a necklace, and a couple of watches. She also got a Nook tablet.
Later that morning it began to snow and it intensified as the day progressed. We had a couple inches of accumulation. I gathered the boys and told them in my forty-six years of living this was the first white Christmas Day I could remember. I told the boys to remember this day for they may never see it again.
We have a family tradition to go and see a movie on Christmas Day. We debated about going because of the snow but thought if we went to an afternoon movie we could get back home before it got too bad. All went well until we got the city of Rhome. While taking the exit ramp off Highway 287 to Highway 114 I hit ice. The Suburban slid out of control with the backend fishtailing. I took my foot off the breaks and steered the opposite direction of the backend which then began to slide out of control the opposite direction. I repeatedly tried to correct the car but realized I could not get it under control. Brenda began praying out loud and I said, "Jesus, please help us."
We careened off the road into the median where we eventually slid to a stop shaken but unharmed. God showed us tender mercy not only in protecting us from a crash but in our not getting stuck as we drove out of the grass back onto the highway. We decided at that point a movie was not worth the risk of continued driving on the adverse roads.
Nestled in my chair back in the living room I reflect on a great Christmas Day. God in His tender mercies blessed my family all year long and especially during this season. We were able to share Christmas gifts only because God shared His resources abundantly with us. His provision has been humbling. His tender mercies to send us a white Christmas is a memory I will long treasure with the boys. I also thank God for protecting my family in what good have been a far different outcome in our losing control in the vehicle today. God's tender mercies are indeed new every morning and especially on this white Christmas Day.
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