Christmas Eve. 2011

Good Morning my dear brothers and sisters. It is indeed Christmas Eve, and I want to look back to two different Christmases Eve.

First looking back to Christmas Eve 2006, a two pound Yorkshire Terrier with back legs so bad she walks on her front legs was abandoned/lost on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pa. She was picked up and taken to a shelter, and the shelter transferred her to the Yorkie Rescue and we went out and brought her home, along with two other Yorkies. Her name, "Merry Christmas Eve." She is so small she can lay across the palm of your hand. She still walks on her front legs. The other two dogs have since passed away, as they had cancer. (we have rescued dogs with problems, they come here till they go home to heaven.) We currently have twelve, all small dogs. (Because of our age, we have decided to not take anymore, or so we keep saying.) This is a mission of Dolores and myself.

The second Christmas Eve I want to tell you about was Christmas Eve 1990. It was a cold day as I recall but sunny and back then I played Santa, and when the streets were dry, I did it on a big Honda Goldwing motorcycle, with a trailer on the back. I would just go to street corners and give out candy and such back then as I would do this on my way home from work. At the time I was dual employed working as Coordinator of Transportation for Central Dauphin School District and owning a Texaco Service station which my son, Keith, managed while I was at the school job. With the schools closed on Christmas Eve, I got on that big cycle early in the morning and took it to work at my service station where we planned to work till noon. At noon we closed the station, and I took the employees out to lunch and gave them some gifts. They went home and I went back to the station and changed into my big red Santa suit, I had a big, big Santa hat that fit over my helmet, and I would glue it on. Anyway, I locked up and was heading to the bank with the receipts of the morning and then to K-Mart on route 22 in Colonial Park to hand out some candy... I never made it. About a block and a half before my bank and K-Mart, I had stopped in a line of traffic, I was in the left lane, it was 1:25 PM. The right lane beside me was moving, but the traffic was backed up waiting to turn into K-Mart for that last minute shopping I guess.

Then it happened, I heard a loud crash behind me and then the car that was still coming forward was struck hard by another vehicle hit the back of the little trailer I was pulling. I had both feet on the ground as I was stopped, I was holding onto the handbrake and also the clutch. I mean it hit hard, I was thrown up and through the windshield and landed on the street. My bike went down, of course. The way I landed my right arm had gone around the front side of the rear tire on a pickup truck ahead of me. I never hit the truck. The driver of the truck heard the crash and did not move. Had he, I would have had a crushed arm...

Anyway, when I woke lying on the street, I found none of the moving cars had hit me, GOD IS SO GOOD. Then I heard these little kids in a big Oldsmobile that hit me, and driven by their grandfather, crying and yelling "Pap just killed Santa Claus." I told the man to tell his grandkids I would be ok for the big ride, and was then loaded into an ambulance for the ride to the local hospital. My assistant at the school was driving the fire rescue truck and had my big bike taken to the Fire House. I went to the hospital. My Assistant, Bob Coburn, called my wife and stayed with her at the hospital long into the evening. I was discharged from the hospital about 10.00 PM in my stocking feet as my feet had swollen so bad I could not get my boots back on. I asked Dolores to take me to the fire house, I wanted to see my cycle. It sure was beat up, but it started, so then I made this big mistake, I went to the car, got my helmet and Dolores said you are not, and I said yes, I am... 26 miles later, no brakes on the bike, I pulled into my garage, and could not get off the bike. Dolores came and put down the stand and helped me off. I said, I just made the biggest dumb thing I ever did in my life..

Now here is the neat part. I was already born again, and I could hear the Lord talking to me on the street, something about coming with Him... My back and legs took it hard and I turned the service station over to Keith February 1992, saying I cannot do this anymore. After one of several back operations I was in rehab at Cumberland Crossings in the swimming pool, and joking said, if you get me feeling better I will come here and sing... I never did this in my life, solo sing that is, and they took me up on it. I was singing in a church choir at the time and a young lady, Pam Bower, and I sang together. I asked her if she wanted to sing at some retirement homes, and she did. We practiced and practiced and then we went out singing, that was in 1993, and on this New Years eve, this same young lady will stand beside me, with Dolores at the piano for some of the numbers and we will still sing. Our name,  Carry The Light.

In 1995 I retired from the district, studied to get ordained and, started preaching and soon opened a food pantry along with Dolores and Pam.

I was 49 at the time of the crash, I am now 70, it happened 21 years ago. I plan on working for Jesus till the day He calls me home...

That accident was the best blessing I ever had. It still hurts, my back pain never, ever stops hurting, not even after five major back operations, but God gets me up each day to serve Him. GOD IS GOOD, PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM.

When I think I cannot carry the pain one more day, I remember how he took nails for me... I know that hurt... but what hurts Him more was/is my sins.

By the way, I still ride a cycle once in a while. It has a side car...

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and to all a good night.

Happy Birthday Jesus...

I love You...

Pastor Daniel W. Lehman

Christmas Eve. 2011