Created by Jimmie Burroughs

It is Christmas Eve 2011 and my dog and I just went for a walk down main street in the tiny island town of Cedar Key, Florida. It is about dusky dark as we stroll along with not an auto stirring. Only two automobiles are parked on the street, a street which runs only a few hundred yards in length. But suddenly out of the blue a child comes swishing down the middle of the street on a skate board and shortly vanishes into the darkness. Now the town is totally deserted. As I look up toward the night sky, only the North Star is plainly visible; there is enough moisture rising from the sea to give it a cross like shape.

In my imagination, I am wondering what might have been on this deserted street on Christmas Eve over a hundred years ago, around the turn of the century when most of the buildings were assembled. The buildings look awfully old and tired now and many of them are listed on the national historic register. The paved streets and the absence of hitching posts are probably the sole difference from way it must have looked at the turn of the 20th century.

Who knows, perhaps at this very same hour, there may have been a horse drawn carriage or 2 making their way down this lonely street on their way to go to friends, or on their way to a Christmas Eve Party. I try hard to imagine how it must have been to have lived then. I’m sure that whoever might have been out on that night so long back has long since been gone.

So tonight it is just me and my dog, the sole two stirring on this Christmas Eve night, and I find myself standing in front of the Island hotel, as it is called, which was created in 1858 and has weathered many a hurricane. As my mind continues to ramble, I ponder who should have been lodging here 150 years back on Christmas Eve. What were their names; what did they do and why were they here.

There’s a large neon sign in the window that asserts open. As I peer through the window, the lights are on, but instead dim and there’s not a soul in sight. I haven’t ever been inside the hotel, but as I look in I notice the ceiling and walls are constructed of planking, the same kind of material that would have been used 150 years back. Perhaps it is the same. The counter looks very old also, like it might have been the original.

We turn around, my dog and I, and begin to walk slowly back to my jeep, which is parked at the other end of the street. The street’s still fully deserted. We walk past 2 buildings that are boarded up and look as if they have been vacant for ages. They look generally stable but in bad need of restoration.

I’m feeling a little lonesome by this time, and just contemplating, as I walk down this deserted street; what is life all about anyhow? So many others have also passed this way before, maybe a little lonely also, and now have met their end; ponder whether they also had some of my same thoughts as they walked along.

Many Christmas Eves, that found my other half and I busy placing the youngsters gifts under the tree, after they had gone to bed and early Christmas mornings, have come and gone. The memories of those joy filled times came drifting across the shadows of my mind as I walked along; my kids busy opening their gifts around the tall green Christmas tree; just my wife and I and the kids, enjoying Christmas with a fire glowing in the fireplace and Christmas music in the background.

The kids are grown and gone and have children of their own. My beautiful wife has passed away and is only a lingering memory. So tonight, it is just me alone in this seemingly, far away deserted little island city, with my thoughts and memories, and with my tiny dog companion, walking down a dark and empty street.

This could be yet another unhappy tale, it isn’t, there is a glorious hope, because tomorrow the sun will rise again on Christmas day and we are going to join together around the globe in a celebration that answers that question, “What is life all about anyway?” On this wonderful day some 2,000 years back the savior was born. He came to this earth to sacrifice his life on an old rough cross so we could be forgiven and receive God’s gift of eternal life.

While the enjoyment of those past Christmases with spouse and kids are gone for ever, my hope remains in the excitement of what Christmas and all of life is truly about: knowing Jesus the Lord, a peace that passes all understanding,. Which gives meaning and purpose to life and that never ends.

Yes, life is full of many experiences and stages. Things are ever-changing; many happy experiences appear and disappear. Life begins and ends. People part and go their separate ways and everything appears so temporal. However , in the midst of all this change there’s someone that is the same yesterday, today and forever and that’s God Almighty. A liaison with God is the single thing that makes sense of this continually changing world. It is the only thing that remains the same and it is the single thing that we take with us when life on the planet is over. In this season of lights, why not establish a liaison with God and see in person what a difference it makes in what otherwise can be a dull, disappointing world.

Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and auhor who has been involved in teaching Christian Private Development for more than 30 years. He is a dedicated believer in Jesus Christ and considers helping people his calling in life. His internet site contains over 600 articles on preparing yourself for success through private development and the things that go with personal development.