On the 25th Day of Christmas
- Darcy Downing
- Dec 25, 2020
- 3 min read
THEY BROUGHT GIFTS TO THE LORD!
This morning as I sat with the Father, all I could think about was how thankful I am for Him. I wanted to give Him a gift and all I could think to give was to write this...
The snow falls
somewhere on the earth
but I have found a winter silence within my soul.
Rest comes to me
like an absorbable down blanket,
traditions hang in my memories
like antique ornaments
and collected bottles that have
turned purple, blue...opaque
In my memories, an old oil lamp clinks against old glass
I can't help but lift it carefully from the box of
stored things, dust it off with the edge of my sleeve
it still carries oil
It reads LINEAGE on its base.
I turn the wick, trim it with barely usable scissors, but the edge comes out smooth
You are there
to light the wick
but before you do you show me another word
hidden beneath old oil and years of dust
your thumb rubs the oily grime away
your eyes sparkle
while you light the match
Imprinted upon the glass are the words
Legacy Heritage.
They encircle the lamp like a wedding ring.
Memories and Dreams mingle as the warmth of the oil lamp
bids me rise from my slumber.
The earliest rays of light brush my face as the night
retreats to yet another winter soul.
Astonished, I rub my eyes
as Peace remains in my room, brightly shining
the oil lamp resting on my bedside table.
I lift the lamp, scrutinizing every detail.
My door creeks open and my great-grandmothers
peek through the crack to see if I am awake.
I am awake in my dream.
Sitting on the edge of my bed is Jesus.
Excitedly I beckon them to come.
One by one, they file into my room
all carrying gifts. They set them at the foot of my bed.
a cardinal
a spade
and a locked jewelry box.
I ask them,
Do you know the Prince of Peace?
They smile, their eyes become misty as some of them look
at Him while others look away.
The flame in the lamp flickers.
The room glows brighter as
the Prince of Peace hands me a key.
When He does this, the Cardinal lifts up off of the ground
fully alive, vibrant red, and lands in His hand
willingly wanting to be held.
I hold the key close to the light
it reeds Redemption.
A grandmother hands me the jewelry box.
The key turns easy in the lock and as it does
it grows and becomes larger like the size of a Treasure Chest.
I scramble to my knees
so I can reach the lid.
Jesus leans forward to watch my expression,
all of the grandmothers lean forward,
a sound escapes the chest as though it has been holding its
breath for centuries.
I hear laughter. I hear weeping. I hear more laughter
stirred in the sounds I peer into the chest and see handwritten letters
not from one grandmother, but from all of them.
An aroma lifts up out of the box and fills the room.
Beneath the letters I find crowns,
JEWELs and my namesake embossed on the inner
side of the lid.
At the very bottom of the chest, I find an old set of work gloves
I see how so much work caused the gloves to form around the shape of my grandmother's hands.
There is still dirt caught in the creases of the fingers.
The room grows quiet
a shadow passes over the brightly lit room.
Upon the handle of the homemade spade, I see
Hosea 14:7 carved into the dark redwood.
I look up at Jesus.
He is watching me, intrigued by
the thoughts that are playing over my face.
He smiles, opens His hands
and the Cardinal flies to me.
I catch him
and hold him against my chest.
The red color is so vibrant
a single feather falls onto my lap. I pick it up
and think to place it in the chest
and that is when I see it,
a seel with a red cardinal upon each letter with red wax dripped onto the pages
so as to capture the seel's image.
Those who live in his shadow
Will again raise grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:7
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