Dear Reader:

You faithful friends and supporters, who have followed the blog for more than a year, know by now… that you don’t get my Christmas Eve Church Service story until Christmas Day…It’s my present to all of you.

The members of the Summerville Chapter of the MS Society are the first ones to hear it. I tease them each year and let them know that they are my guinea pigs…because I am usually still learning the story at the beginning of December.

I will give you a few clues about the central theme of this year’s Christmas Eve story: 1) It deals with elephants…real ones and paper mache ones at a stable  2) The main narrator is a ninety-four year old woman, named Elvira Whipple, who recalls the most perfect Christmas Eve of her life… and starts the story 3) The central theme deals with tolerance for all God’s children and all His creatures…regardless of color, race, religion, or size.

I have decided that I am a storyteller “tweaker.” I read lots of stories but when I re-tell them I “tweak” (the correct term, of course, is a revisionist) them by adding or changing certain ‘tidbits’ to add more HUMPFH to the story. This particular story needed only a couple of small “humphs” as it was pretty darn good…just the way it was. I am excited about telling it Christmas Eve.

My reaffirmation that this was the right story for the right time came with a God’s Wink. Yesterday I noticed where a new Guide Post story was available for me to read….When I saw the title…I simply smiled and shook my head.

The story is so amazing…it sent chills down my back. Here is a quick summary for you.

The Elephants of Thula Thula

Lawrence Anthony was a beloved wildlife conservationist from South Africa, known throughout the world as “The Elephant Whisperer”—a nickname he earned after adopting and rehabilitating a herd of wild elephants (who were destined to be killed) on his game reserve, Thula Thula. In 2012, Lawrence suffered a fatal heart attack. Two days later, his wife, Françoise Malby Anthony, witnessed something incredible…

The elephants of Thula Thula appeared outside her home in a solemn procession to pay tribute to Lawrence, a moving story Françoise told in the December/January 2016 issue of Mysterious Ways magazine. Anthony  died on March 2, 2012, while on a business trip to Johannesburg. Two days later the family and community held a memorial service for him and when they returned home later in the afternoon … they were met with a big surprise. A procession of elephants!

They circled the home as if waiting for their beloved man, their “savior,” who had saved them from death so many years before. Finally hours later…they left.

…Until March 4, 2013, a year later to the day, when the herd appeared in the late afternoon performing the same rituals in their procession. Rituals of gratitude towards a man they loved, trusted, and respected.

It  didn’t stop there…they have returned on March 4 in 2014 and this past year on the same date-2015.

It is said that elephants don’t forget and obviously they don’t forget someone who loved them unconditionally…as a creature of God on earth.

I think we can learn a lot from this beautiful giants of the earth…if they can pay homage to a man who saved their lives and loved them unconditionally… once a year on the same day…returning to his home…why can’t we do the same with our Savior-Jesus Christ?

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I can’t think of a more beautiful “sign” that my Christmas Eve story should involve a mystery…about two elephants at the stable.

… Speaking of mysteries I left around 6:00 last evening to run to Rite-Aid and when I returned some beautiful pink camellias were sitting on the porch floor in some foil….Who’s my Christmas elf? I want to know! Help me solve the mystery.

A special shout-out to Knight Gaillard who sent me some mouth-watering ham and cheese rolls, crab rolls, and scrumptious sweet goodies. You are so kind for thinking of me…I gulped them all down last night…I mean all! Thank you Knight for such a kind gesture!

They say art imitates life and vice-versa….from these two photos I think they are right.

* Anne said that the painting by Rembrandt-The Adoration of the Shepherds– reminded her of a list of words about light she got from Mepkin Abby one year.

Your Rembrandt painting today reminded me to dig out Incandescence, a book I bought at the crèche festival a long time ago.  It’s a book of 365 readings by women “mystics” and leads off with the attached one by Lucille Clifton.  I’m sure I’ve shared it w you before but it was lovely to read again, word by word, with the painting right there too.  Lovely!!!