I’ll Be Home For Christmas!

Cue music  🙂

Ahhh, the memories of a Christmas past.

I’ll never forget the time I braved an uncooperative plane, a speeding cab, and a broken-down bus all to get home for Christmas.

Not exactly like the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” – but close . . . sort of.

What an adventure that was – with its ups and downs, disappointments, breakdowns, and big-time delays, but I was determined to make it home – no matter what.

The Beginning of the Journey Home for Christmas

Many years ago, as a television reporter in Louisiana, I often worked on the holidays. Not fun, but it came with the territory.

One year, it was my turn.

I remember telling my parents, who were living three states away, that I wouldn’t be able to make it home that year.

They were sad, and I was sad. The idea of spending a Christmas alone in my tiny apartment was nothing short of a miserable feeling.

Everyone else had a home to go to for the holidays, except me, whose parents lived out of state.

I had to do something. I remember pleading with the news director and he finally relented with some conditions.

The deal was that I would have to pre-record a few feature stories that the station could run during the Christmas broadcast. If any news emergencies occurred, they would handle it. I was so grateful to him and excited about taking the evening flight home to surprise my parents.

I just wanna get home.

The Friday night after I finished my shift, one of my co-workers gave me a ride to the airport.

He dropped me off, and I headed inside to join the long line at the ticket counter. When it was my turn, the ticket agent gave me the bad news that my flight had been cancelled.

Wait . . . what?

I was devastated. She saw the sad look on my face and told me to hurry outside and catch a cab to the downtown bus station. There was only one bus leaving that night for my hometown.

I jumped into the first cab I could find, and we literally raced to the bus station several miles away.

After “the ride of terror” was over, and a few newly acquired gray hairs made their appearance, the cab driver dropped me off and I got in yet another line to grab one of the last remaining bus tickets home.

I just wanna get home.

Delays and Frustrations

The adventure continued.

My new mode of transportation started its dicey journey along the icy roads of New Orleans. We got onto the interstate okay, but minutes later, the bus driver pulled over onto the shoulder.

She made the announcement that the bus was breaking down, and we’d have to wait there for a new bus to pick us up to continue the trip.

I checked my watch. Another delay.

I just wanna get home.

About a half hour later, the new bus arrived, and all passengers got on board, hoping that now our journey would be a smooth one and we’d make up all the time we lost.

I was determined to remain positive.

One power nap on this bus, and then I’ll wake up and be home already.

What I didn’t realize was that the bus had to stop in every little town along the way.

Oh, it was frustrating.

Other passengers around me were getting anxious, and sometimes mad. I sat up front near the driver, but it was impossible to get away from the glum vibe circulating in the bus.

The journey continued. All in all, what should have been a 3 ½ hour trip turned into 7 hours.

I just wanna get home.

We finally made it.

Right after 2:00 a.m. that next morning, the bus pulled into my hometown.  

Hallelujah! I’m home.

I got off the bus and saw the most welcoming, unexpected, sight.

It turns out my parents had found out about my little surprise and were there waiting for me!!

The sight of my Dad standing there with his arms open wide to give me a big hug made the journey worth it – even the setbacks.

Trust His Plan

There’s a lesson in this when I think back about it.

Isn’t that what we Christians are waiting and hoping for at our appointed time?

This life is often fraught with disappointments, trials, and delays – but some day in the future, Jesus will welcome us to our eternal home with loving arms.

There will be no homecoming like it.

Our Savior . . . waiting for you, and for me.

Merry Christmas, everyone!