A Christmas Appointment

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

In 2010, we spent our first Christmas in our home in the North Carolina Mountains. We had owned the home for a couple of years but were still working and hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know our neighbors. I was excited but also anxious about leaving our life-long Florida friends as well as our church. This is an email I sent to my friends.

December 17, 2010

Yesterday was an icy day up here in the North Carolina Mountains, but by mid morning, the ice gave way to rain and washed away the snow and ice. We had received a call on Tuesday inviting us to a neighborhood Christmas Party being held Thursday night. Reluctantly we decided to attend. You know Mike and I don’t tend to be party people especially with strangers.

Parking at mountain homes is not the easiest task. The driveways tend to be long and narrow often having ditches on each side. Mike wanted to park the truck facing out so we could put in our appearance and make a quick exit. Not an easy feat under the circumstatnces but it seemed Mike managed just fine or so I thought. I opened my door and gingerly stepped down from the truck only to find something pushing against my leg.

 “Uh Oh” I muttered.

 “What’s wrong? Mike asked tensely, thinking I had managed to injure myself getting out of the truck. Well Ha! The problem this time wasn’t ME being klutzy.

 “You just ran over one of these people’s shrubs.” Did I mention this was a beautifully landscaped driveway? In our quest for a quick get away parking place, we failed to notice the three-foot shrubs.

 “Oh man” Mike mumbled, getting back into the truck. I stood behind to guide. Him. As he pulled away from the shrub, there was an ominous screeching of the shrub running along the bottom edge of the truck. I walked over and checked out the damage.

  “The shrub seems to be fine,” I told Mike. “Hope the truck is ok.”

As we walked up the drive, I was thinking, well one strike against this evening being a success.

  The door was opened by Pat, the smiling, white haired owner. We told her our names and she just beamed.

 “I’m so glad you could make it she said then turned to a group sitting in the formal dining room and called, “hey everyone, this is Mike and Onisha and I am so glad they came.” She proceeded to introduce us to the three couples at the table, then led us to the kitchen to put out the dish I had brought and help us get loaded up on finger foods.

 For me, trying to decide whom to sit with at a party of strangers is traumatic. I mean, how do you know where to sit? Pat took care of that by announcing to the group in the dining room, “these seats are saved for Mike and Onisha” God truly knows our fears and literally holds our hands.

  We were chatting with the other three couples, beginning to relax when Pat announced that everyone should come sit in the living room so that the group could introduce themselves again and tell a little about themselves. Mike and I moved our chairs into the living room, looking forward to getting to know these people but nervous about our turn to share. It’s not like we had exciting lives.

 The first couple told how they came to live in Franklin, and then Sue opened her heart, telling how she had strayed from fellowship with God before they moved into their home. One day she was out and drove past a church. God spoke to her heart and right then and told her to visit that church when they were settled in their home. It was a wonderful testimony.

 Then the next couple spoke telling how God had blessed them and drew them to this community, and then the next one, and on until each had spoken. They all had a leading from the Lord to settle here. I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

 Then it was our turn. I wish I could say that we said something spiritual and wise, but I was so blown away, I could just get out a short bio. Inside, our hearts were praising God for his goodness and amazing provision.

 Pat’s husband finished the group telling how God had worked in their lives and then he suggested we end in prayer and asked Opal if she would mind standing in the middle of the circle. Opal had recently lost her husband and was soon leaving for the winter. As we joined hands to pray, it was all I could do to not start shouting. Opal wasn’t sitting in a chair and we didn’t have our hands on her but it was the same spirit of our Sunday School class in Florida when one of us  “got the chair.”

 As the prayer ended, Mike and I looked at each other and grinned.

“That was awesome’ we said to each other. As we stood talking to one of the couples, my eyes were tearing. Not only had God brought us to a new place he brought us to a new group of friends who love the Lord.

 We started the evening looking for a quick exit. How many times have we missed God’s Divine Appointments, as my friend Wanda would say, because we are looking for a way out, instead of a way in?

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Party, Friendship, God