Lyn Cote here~I'l like to share one of my Christmas blessings.
My husband and I moved to the northwoods of WI in the early 2000’s. On the first Christmas morning I witnessed something called sublimation. Not psychologically but in chemistry. Here’s what I mean.
I was standing at the kitchen window and looked out and I saw what looked like snow but special snow I’d never seen before. And the sun was shining brightly--not a cloud in the clear blue sky. Where could snow come from without clouds? And it was the most beautiful snow I’d ever seen--like cascades of crushed diamonds--veils of them coming down in shimmering waves. I was transfixed. And when the blessing finally ended, the snowy ground glittered like a field of diamonds. I was uplifted, filled with joy. And this happened again on another Christmas morning. Twice--I was amazed.
My husband explained sublimation. Here’s the dictionary definition.
Chemistry.--to convert (a solid substance) by heat into a vapor, which on cooling condenses again to solid form, without apparent liquefaction.
He explained to me that the vapor was being translated into solid form--snow--without becoming liquid first.
Since it happened twice and both times on Christmas morning, I took both as a special gifts from God--for all of us who witnessed it. Have you ever experienced a special blessing like this at Christmas? It doesn’t have to be from nature but from another person. BTW, I received two other Christmas blessings, both my children were born in December. :-)
Here’s a short-short story I wrote about another Christmas blessing, Love.
Christmas Eve at Old Ft. Bowie
by Lyn Cote
Gazing out at the scrubbed-covered mountains, Emmeline dabbed her eyes. In spite of her efforts, her husband had sensed her unhappiness earlier at breakfast.
“What’s wrong, dearest?” he’d asked, gently touching her hand.
She’d forced a smile. “Homesickness. I doubt we’ll have a Christmas tree.”
Yes, Fort Bowie, Arizona, was nothing like pine-forested Wisconsin. But six months ago, she’d chosen to trust God to lead her to a good man. He had through a letter sent to the Milwaukee newspaper, asking if any brave woman would take a chance on marrying a lonely soldier in the West. After many letters and an arduous railroad journey, she’d married Captain Gardner Winslow, becoming an army wife with all its worries.
Their fort guarded a natural spring, life itself here in the desert. With Geronimo on the loose, her husband was again out keeping the stage route safe. And that’s why I’m foolish to be sniffling over a Christmas tree. Gardner is risking his life protecting others.
Emmeline hurried to her kitchen. She’d have a smile on her face and atasty meal waiting whenever her captain returned tonight!
***
Much later dozing in the chair, she awoke in near darkness.
Gardner stood before her with---
“I know it’s the sorriest excuse for a Christmas tree ever.”
The tree was a scraggly scrub all right. Rising, she hugged Gardner with the fragrant pine between them, pressing against his firm chest. “I’m sorry I even brought it up.”
“Emmeline, you gave up a fine life for me.”
“I gave up a fine life for a finer man.”
***
Hope you enjoyed this little peek into a long ago Christmas and Merry Christmas to You!
BTW, want to read a sweet Christmas novella? How about my Mavis's Forever Christmas?
A later in life hero and heroine join forces to help an expectant mom and a stray mama dog and her pups~
Never married, Mavis, a retired college librarian, has made a new life for herself near her “adopted” niece Ellie. Over a year ago, John lost his wife, who was Mavis's best friend for nearly forty years. He has spent the past months traveling with his trailer, trying to figure out this new life. But when his only daughter Ellie faces complications with a difficult pregnancy, he’s pulled back to her hometown.
Helping Ellie brings Mavis and John close once again, and new feelings and attractions spark. Maybe falling in love isn’t just for the young, but is it right? And it feels like a betrayal of his wife and/or her best friend, but is it? By a Carol Award-winning author, this emotional, small town, family drama will touch your heart. And an adventurous little puppy will make you smile.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9K9Z2TK/
