“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” – Luke 2: 9-11
The Christmas season is a special time of year. Although it is a busy time of year, it is made special when we take time to enjoy the season with our friends and family. Sadly, many people spend Christmas away from their loved ones. Often it is work that takes people away from celebrating Christmas with others. When Hal Vaughn realized that he would not see his daughter on Christmas, he went to great lengths to spend the day with her.
Peirce Vaughn is a flight attendant with Delta. She was scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She loves her job but wanted to be with her family on Christmas. Her father decided that if she could not come home for Christmas, he would just go to her. Hal got online and booked tickets on the flights that his daughter was scheduled to work. He would spend Christmas as a passenger, but at least he would spend it with his daughter.
Along the way, Hal would meet several fellow passengers traveling to see their family and friends. They exchanged their stories and celebrated Christmas together. Hal’s story inspired others. Even Delta Airlines released a statement in celebration of a father who would go to such heights to be with his daughter. Delta said they, “love seeing this awesome Dad having the chance to spend Christmas with his daughter— even while crisscrossing the country at 30,000 feet.”
When I read about this father who wanted nothing more than to be with his daughter, I was reminded about the love our Heavenly Father has for us. It was on Christmas that God came to earth, as a baby boy. God’s great love for His children compelled Him to come from Heaven to Earth. Hal became a passenger to be close to his daughter. God became a human to draw close to us all.
There is nothing that God will not do to be close to us. This is the good news that brings great joy to the world (Luke 2:10). We may be in the lowest of valleys or at 30,000 feet above the earth, but God is with us. Thanks be to God!
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
