--MYSTERIOUS WAYS -- (Nostalgia)

---MORE THAN COINCIDENCE~~

--DAD was brilliant with his hands. For 23 years he repaired and rebuilt typewriters and copiers for the Remington Rand Company in Elmira, New York; even at home he could usually be found putting something broken back together. My four sisters and I had no idea how far his talent went, however, until the Christmas after he retired. He gave each of us a stunning stained-glass ornament he'd made himself--a star of Bethlehem. A friend had taught him the painstaking process.

"I can make you anything you want," Dad said proudly.

The stained-glass gifts he produced over the next few years became prized possessions. My favorite was a trivet with four maple leaves, to remind me of the trees in Elmira that changed such vibrant colors in the Fall.

I hoped Dad would make a maple-leaf ornament for my Christmas tree, but he never had the chance. His hands failed him. It started with a slight tremor. Then they got too shaky to fit the pieces of glass together, to keep the soldering straight. My step-mom had died and Dad couldn't live on his own any longer. Our family decided he would move in with my sister Debbie and her husband. I would help him pack his things.

It had been a tough year already. My sister Patti had gone through a contentious divorce. Among the things her ex-husband refused to return was the star Dad made. 'If only Dad could replace it', I thought, clearing out drawers and closets and cupboards. Every now and then I found a stray shard of colored glass, each one a painful reminder that we'd seen the last of Dad's brilliant creations.

Cleaning out his place took days. Finally I emptied every cupboard. I picked up the last box and headed for the door. A nagging feeling stopped me. I glanced around--all that was left was some furniture Dad was giving away. An old couch and a small end table with a drawer. 'I never checked that drawer!'

I opened it and gasped. There were only two items inside--both stained-glass ornaments. A big orange maple leaf. And a star of Bethlehem! --

Dad was even more surprised. "That's my handiwork, all right," he said. "But where they came from I haven't got a clue."~~

--Guideposts/CJ~~
-Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017. Remember, Jesus is as close as the mention of His Name, 24/7's. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!~~