The gift of the ages still to be treasured

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, I am reminded of a story I read many years ago. It is the story of a man who lived in Missouri during the 1930s.

John Griffith’s dream was to travel to far-away destinations with exotic-sounding names. In his early 20s, John was full of optimism as he and his wife looked forward. Best of all, they had been blessed with a beautiful blue-eyed baby boy, Greg.

But then came the devastating stock market crash in 1929. With it came the end to John’s dreams and hopes of travel. As the “dirty thirties” came and the winds howled under the bleak Oklahoma sky, they somehow symbolized the bleakness of John’s future. And so, brokenhearted, John packed up his family and their belongings in their old Model-A Ford and made their way to Missouri.