Have you ever loved a TV show so much that you planned your schedule around it?
My mother loves the classic Christmas TV shows from the 1960s and 1970s: “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is coming to Town,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and (my favorite) “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” When these shows came out on VCR, she bought them in a pack. When they came out on DVD, she bought them again.
Way back before we were able to buy them, they were only broadcast once during the Christmas season. If missed a show, you were out of the luck until the next Christmas. So, whenever my mom saw the commercial for “Rudolph,” that was it. No matter what, we were to be in front of the TV so we could watch it. The first time I ever missed watching it was when I was thirteen years old. No kidding. My Sunday school teacher had a Christmas party at his house for us kids. To be honest, I was rather relieved.
As a child, I always thought the story of Rudolph was rather sad and tragic. Seriously. Poor little guy was an outcast who was mistreated by his classmates. Finally, he ran away from home and his family searched for him. This didn’t just make me cry. Oh no. I bawled. If you know me, then you know I don’t like to cry. Anyway, I would try to hold my tears in because I didn’t want my parents to see me cry. Of course, I would get to the point where I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Then I would run down the hallway to my room with tears streaming down my face. Once inside my room, I would hide behind the door.
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from they presence?” Psalm 139:7 (KJV)
My parents didn’t have to hunt for me because they knew exactly where I was. It is the same with The Lord. There is no where on this planet where we can be hidden from Him. You can run and get away from many things, but you will still be in the Lord’s presence. As for me, that is a comfort.
Do I still cry at Rudolph? Nope. Did I out grow being upset at it? Nope. I don’t watch it anymore. By the way, I cried during “The Little Drummer Boy” too.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.