The Christmas Ladder (part 1)
A few years ago our artificial Christmas tree succumbed to years of usage. Many of the nylon needles had fallen off and exposed the ugly, twisted metal of what previously looked like tree branches. We didn’t have the time or money to buy a new one, so we resigned ourselves to having no Christmas tree that year. Then Terese and our oldest daughter, Alyssa, came up with a novel idea: decorate the old ladder sitting in our garage.
When my dad passed away many years ago, we inherited his old, rickety wooden ladder. It was covered with paint splotches and had several areas where the wood had splintered. We loved it even though it had long since lost its usefulness, because it reminded us of Grandpa Bob. He was a man of faith and principles, as well as a person all the grandchildren loved to be around. I have many memories of home renovation projects with my dad, who taught me a lot about construction. He used to remind me “keep it level and plumb” not only in building projects, but also in life.
Terese and Alyssa gathered the ladder from our garage and decorated it with lights, ornaments, and some family pictures. On the top sat the Christmas angel we used to top our Christmas trees in the past. Beneath it we spread a Christmas skirt and put our presents there.
On Christmas day we gathered in the living room and opened the presents underneath that old ladder. New memories were formed, even as we remembered Grandpa Bob and his faith in God.
The next morning I awoke early (actually, WAY too early) with a story in my head. I went to my office and spent a good part of the day at the computer writing a story about a young boy, his grandfather, and the ladder that became part of their family’s faith journey.
When it was done, I shared it with my family and a few friends, who told me they were moved as they read it. Alyssa even told me, “This should be a Hallmark movie!”
A few weeks later I was encouraged to submit it to a literary competition where it took third place.
That spring I attended a writers’ conference in Colorado where God placed me in a lunch line with two other men who introduced themselves and joined me at a table. Unknown to me at the time, one of them was the senior acquisitions editor for the company that later published my first book “The Isaiah Encounter: Living an Everyday Life of Worship”. The other man was also a publisher that I was assigned to meet with as part of the conference. He asked me about the Christmas story I had written and invited me to bring it. After reading it, he said he loved the story and encouraged me to submit it for publication. He advised me to first find an illustrator, but also told me his firm didn’t work in that literary genre. Over the years I have interviewed illustrators and received some wonderful concept drawings from them. Each time I prayerfully asked God if this was the right illustrator, and each time sensed God telling me to wait…
…until a couple months ago, when God opened the door to an illustrator in a country far away. In my next blog I’ll continue this story.
One of the components of living a life of faith is being okay with waiting. In my humanity I still wrestle with this as I wait for God’s answers to prayers that I have voiced and given to Him. In the midst of waiting, God’s voice continually reminds me of His priceless, unchanging Truths:
- I belong to God and He loves me now and forever;
- God works all things together for my good (see Romans 8);
- He reminds me to “Be still and know that He is God” (see Psalm 46);
- In the waiting, God grows me and strengthens my faith and spiritual “muscles”;
- God always comes through, and there is a glorious future awaiting all who love Him, beyond the waiting and even pain of life.
When we reach that day, we will look back and see God’s perfect plan, through and beyond the times of waiting.
God bless you!
Chris Atkins