A DIFFERENT “LOOK” AT CHRISTMAS

Today Frannie and I arrived at our next build. We pulled out of Sebring at 7:30AM and arrived at the Indian River Habitat Store in Vero Beach, FL at 10AM. We met our Built Team Leaders, Pauline and Fred, along with several of the couples we will be building with the next two weeks. We learned that the Vero Beach Christmas Parade was to be held tonight (Saturday) and that all the Care-A-Vanners were welcome to participate in the parade by riding on their float or walking alongside. Since neither Fran or I had ever done that we decided to join the fun.

First, after getting our gear settled and the trailer all set up, we checked out the beach and surrounding areas during the afternoon.



Later on we went to Riverside Park where all the floats were being assembled and arranged for the evening parade. As with the floats in Sebring and Avon Park earlier this week, all the floats had generators or systems connected to their tow vehicles which allowed them to be covered in Christmas lights. The Habitat float was a flatbed trailer with three houses. The first was just a framework, the second was a partially complete house and the third was a completed home with a porch, siding, roof and even shutters. Of course everything was outlined in Christmas lights and the float carried two large generators for power.



All the participants received red or green Habitat shirts along with reindeer antlers for their heads to make the spirit even more festive. Many of the people who are getting new homes through the Habitat program were on the float with their children, all adorned in yellow shirts.



Frannie and I got our shirts and, yes, our reindeer antlers.



We walked along the driver’s side of the float and greeted people young and old with wishes of “Merry Christmas” all along the way. What really surprised us was how many of the people along the parade route were just as anxious to shout out their “Merry Christmas” greetings to us as well. For the entire parade we waved and shared smiles and happy Christmas greetings. By the way, this was not billed as a “Holiday Parade”. There was no doubt that this was a parade celebrating Christmas. It is refreshing to see that in the south people are not afraid to stand for their beliefs and speak openly of them.

From little ones in their mother’s arms to elderly in wheel chairs we saw countless smiles, waves and happy wishes of “Merry Christmas” as we walked. I can’t tell you how long the parade route was or where we were walking. We were just too busy connecting with people all along the way to notice or, for that matter, to even care. We were having such a good time “seeing” a Christmas parade from a totally new perspective. It sure filled us with lots of Christmas joy. Even when the parade was finished and we all climbed back onto the float for the ride back to the park where we started, people would honk their horns as they met us on the highway. It was quite an evening.

We will tell you more about this affiliate in a later post. For now we will just say that they were very welcoming upon our arrival and their facilities are very accommodating for Care-A-Vanners. We have a lounge area with TV, books, tapes, full kitchen, laundry facilities, local phone service and even WIFI so we can stay connected with families and friends just like you! We will meet all of our building teammates tomorrow at our orientation and begin our work on Monday.

I hope that you are finding ways to get into that Christmas spirit. There’s nothing like it. If you have Jesus Christ in your hearts this should be one of the best seasons of the year for you regardless of the current political, financial or other situations. If you have Jesus in your heart you hold the greatest gift of Christmas…life now with none other than the Son of God dwelling within you AND the promise of living with Him forever in Heaven. If nothing else does, that fact alone should make your Christmas one of wonder, joy, love, peace and hope. We’ll see you again soon out here “on the road” but, in the meantime, “Merry Christmas”!