Papa winked and snapped a piece of bacon. “Well, Ivy, that is an unusual morning for you, but it must have been a dream that woke you up, and then you just came down and made breakfast. And that’s a wonderful insight into the connection between the story of Abraham and the story of Jesus. Especially on Christmas.”
James, Jessica, and Jenny all nodded and said, “Yeff” with full mouths.
Ivy smiled and cut into another egg. “Well, Papa, there was something else. Remember Grandma was going to make me a quilt?”
“Yes, I’m sorry it didn’t happen.” He reached over and patted her hand.
Ivy giggled. “Actually, it did happen. Grandma said she made it before she died.”
Everyone paused, forks halfway to their mouths, and stared at Ivy.
She looked at each one. Sensing strength within, she continued. “Grandma said she didn’t want me to know before Christmas, so she hid it, but then she died so we didn’t know.”
“Okay, this is really weird, sis.” James pulled his hair back from his forehead. “Did she tell you where?”
Everyone again stared at Ivy. The twins held their breath.
She rubbed her hands together. “Yes, she did. It’s under the stairs.”
“Oh, honey, we’ve cleaned that closet too many times. We would have found it.” Mama reached over and gently brushed Ivy’s hair behind her shoulder.
James and Papa shook their heads. Jessica and Jenny sighed and continued eating.
“That’s what I told her.” Ivy placed her hands on the table. “Granddad said there’s a secret panel on the back of the stair.”
Every chair scraped as the family stood at the same time, paused, looked at each other, and then raced to the closet under the stairs. The twins squealed and James muttered under his breath.
“This can’t be happening.” Mama hugged herself. “I mean, it’s not possible.”
“But we have to look, don’t we?” Jenny pushed herself between the closet door and her father.
“Might as well check it out,” James chimed in. “If nothing else, it will be another Christmas story.” He jabbed Ivy with his elbow. “We haven’t had a good Ivy sleepwalking story in a long time.”
Papa took charge. “Okay, Ivy and I will look. If we need help, James, you’re it.”
Ivy opened the wood paneled door, pulled the string to turn on the light, and walked in with Papa right behind her. The pine wood scent the closet held was a pleasant welcome. The whole family tried to get in. “Granddad said, ‘Just above eye level, to the side, there’s an indentation’.”
Papa felt around according to Ivy’s directions. The twins giggled and whispered. Papa gasped. “Oh my, here it is. James help me work this.”
Ivy pressed herself against the wall, while James and Papa pushed and wiggled the indentation. All of a sudden, the top tipped in. James managed to get hold of the end of the panel and push in enough to bring the bottom end up. Papa grabbed it and pulled it out.
Jenny and Jessica jumped up and down, knocking down umbrellas and hangers and stomping on Ivy and Mama’s toes. “Hurry! Hurry!”
“Oh, watch my toes, girls,” Mama scolded. “We’re all excited, but…”
James reached in. “Whoa, there’s a package in here, wrapped in…”
“Brown paper, brown wrapping paper,” squealed Ivy. “That’s what Grandma said, brown paper with cedar wood to keep it fresh.”
“I think I’m going to faint,” Mama whispered with her hand clutching the top of her nightgown.
“Twins, hold Mama up,” Papa instructed, “the doctors aren’t on duty on Christmas morning.”
Everyone laughed and Mama straightened. “Okay, Okay, I’m all right. Somebody pull it out.”
“What about the rats?” James asked.
The twins screamed. Ivy just held her breath. She knew that was her brother’s sense of humor, but they did have trouble with rats once when she was younger. Grandma had baked a cake that Ivy was going to take to school. In the morning when they got up, the rat was on the counter, eating the cake. Trying to escape, the creature fell into the wastebasket next to the counter. Grandpa was able to dispose of it, but the thought of rats always gave her the willies.
James pulled out the large package. He handed it carefully to Ivy, then shooed everyone out of the closet.
Ivy carried it out of the closet like a newborn baby. “Should I open it?”
The twins jumped up and down again, two blonde mops filling the air. “Yes, yes! It’s the most exciting Christmas ever. Open it! Open it!”
“Wait,” Mama said. “How can this be happening? Grandma and Granddad are gone, in Heaven. How can Ivy know this?”
Papa took both Mama’s hands and said, “Let’s gather by the tree.” As they all passed into the living room and sat down, they alternated between giggles and cautious silence.
Ivy soaked in the scene. Her family all in their pajamas and robes seated on the comfy rug in front of the Christmas tree, decorated with memories of love and laughter and God’s provision. The hardwood floor covering most of the first floor gleamed a warm golden brown and spoke of the dedication to excellent craftsmanship that was a part of the character of this family.
Ivy felt older, more mature, a part of something grand. It was the legacy her great grandparents began when they started the farm and built this house. Her grandparents took over, kept the animals and the gardens, and built the store that supported her parents and their children. Her parents helped with the store and raised her and her siblings to be thankful and responsible. The fire rocked all that, but they were still together. She liked that phrase Grandad used: Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees ahead and provides.
She would trust Him and take her place in this family to be an example to her younger brother and sisters. Even if all that was in that package was old fabric or old newspapers, she had been given a gift that she would always keep close to her heart.
“Well,” Papa said, “obviously, our family seems to have had a visitation from Heaven for some reason.” He looked around at his family with a quirky smile. “I sure hope it’s a quilt and not a dead cat in that paper.”
“Oh, Papa.” Ivy hugged the package to herself. “I almost dropped it.”
The twins squealed again.
“Robert, please,” Mama scolded.
James shrugged. “Well, it is weird.”
Papa looked up. “Forgive me, Lord, I do think You’ve given us a Christmas miracle. Thank You for Your love.” Papa leaned over and patted Ivy’s hand. “Okay, Ivy, it’s your gift. Open it.”
Ivy sat up very straight. “But what’s inside is for you and Mama.”
“What do you mean, Ivy?” Mama tipped her head and studied Ivy.
“Grandma and Granddad kept saying it. They, uh, talked to me about growing up a little.”
Mama leaned over and hugged Ivy. “I love you, my sweet girl,” she whispered.
Jenny reached over and touched one of the porcelain ornaments on the tree. The movement sent a wave of pine scent throughout the room. Everyone breathed in the scent. “This is so exciting. We will have to make an ornament that goes with this, so you can tell the story every year when we decorate the tree.”
“A wonderful idea, Jenny.” Mama reached over and took her hand. “I am so blessed to have my family around me in this home that my parents raised me in, that my grandparents built.”
Jessica scooted closer to Ivy. “Open it, Ivy. Please open it.”
Ivy unrolled and unfolded the paper gently, taking great care not to let it tear. Everyone held their breath while Ivy toiled slowly as if fearful the spell would be broken if she made a mistake.
“Hurry, Ivy,” Jessica pleaded. “I don’t want to wake up yet if this is a dream that we’re all dreaming together. And I certainly don’t want you to wake up.”
Small chunks of cedar wood tumbled out. And there before their eyes was a carefully folded beautiful quilt, just like Grandma said.
�
�Oh, it’s gorgeous, Ivy,” cried Jessica.
Jenny ran her hand over it. “The fabric is perfect and the stitching, it’s just like ours.”
“No, it’s not. This embroidery is words,” whispered Jessica as her finger traced the stitching.
“It is!” Ivy’s words barely squeaked out. “Oh, Mama, look! Like Grandma’s bridal gown.”
Mama leaned in. She sucked in her breath. “How can this be?”
“Let’s spread it out on our laps.” Papa began to help Ivy unfold it.
“Look, it starts here.” James pointed to one corner as the quilt was spread lovingly across each of their laps. The words traveled like a vine, winding around intricately cut pieces of fabric, each a different shade of white and cream. The writing was green stitching with occasional hints of tan making little leaves off the vine at intervals. James grinned. “Just like ivy vines, Ivy. It’s Christmas ivy, Ivy.”
Mama pressed her hands to her cheeks. “My mama, your Grandma, truly loved the ivy pattern. It’s one reason we named you Ivy. How wonderful that she used that pattern on this quilt. What has she written?”
Papa leaned over and read, “‘Genesis 22. And God told Abraham to take his only son and offer him as a sacrifice.’ Ivy, this is what you told us at breakfast.” He paused and caught his breath. “It’s unbelievable.”
Ivy could hardly get the words out. “It’s what Grandma and Granddad told me at breakfast.”
“How could she have stitched all these words? It’s so intricate. And none of us knew she was doing this.” Mama brushed tears from her eyes and continued reading. “‘Abraham told his young men, the lad and I will return. Then he built an altar and bound Isaac.’” Mama’s voice became more and more choked up as she read. Placing her hands together in front of her mouth, she looked at James.
“I’ll read,” James said, his voice strong. “‘And Abraham prepared to slay his son.’”
Mama buried her face in her hands. “I just can’t understand how any parent could consider this. It’s so unlike God. How could He ask such a thing? It hurts my heart.”
James reached over and patted her hand. “It’s okay, Mama. Just listen. ‘The Angel of the Lord called to him and said, Do not harm the lad, for now I know you will obey God.’”
“Grandma said God knew then that He could trust Abraham because he obeyed Him in offering Isaac.” Ivy spoke so softly, they all leaned closer to hear her. “I’ll read now.” She shifted her position so she could trace the delicate writing with her fingers while she read. “‘Then Abraham looked, and there was a ram. So Abraham offered it up instead of his son.’”
“My turn.” Jessica got on her knees and ran her fingers along the vine as she read. “‘John 3:16. For God so loved the world He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should have everlasting life.’” She looked up. “That’s what you said, Ivy, that Abraham gave his only son and then God gave His only son. What was the word you used?”
“It’s right here.” Jenny’s eyes were big. “Look. Look. It’s in big letters. ‘COVENANT’.”
“That’s the word, but Grandma and Grandad said something more about God’s name, Jehovah Jireh. I don’t see it.” Ivy searched the quilt with her eyes.
“Keep reading, Ivy.” Jenny pointed again. “Look at the vine winding over toward the corner here. There’s more.” She looked up. “You read it, Ivy, it’s your quilt.”
But what’s inside belongs to your Mom and Dad. Ivy heard Grandma and Granddad’s words in her head again, or was it in her heart. She continued to read. “‘And Abraham called the place, Jehovah Jireh, The-Lord-Will-Provide.’”
No one said a word. They just sat there, staring at the quilt and then at each other. The scent of the evergreen Christmas tree filled the room. The sunlight filtering in the room waved shimmers of light across their faces. Only Tilly, the cat, moved, chasing a few sun rays as they danced across the floor.
Ivy ran her fingers over the last few words. “This is where it ends.”
“Or, perhaps, where it all begins.” Papa’s voice sounded hoarse, gravelly. He studied the quilt, rereading the words silently, only his lips moving. He looked at his wife as a tear escaped his eye. Mama just nodded and hugged herself.
“There are a few loose threads right there, Ivy,” said Mama. “I think you can sew these into the back side.” She lifted the corner. “This bottom side is such pretty muslin.”
Ivy lifted the quilt as well to examine the backing. She ran her hand over it. “Grandma said I should replace it with a fancier fabric, but this is what she put here. She planned to find another backing but never had time. I like it. I should leave it. All of it makes me feel close to her.”
“I like it, too, Ivy, and I think I can show you how to tie up those loose threads fairly easily.” Mama tugged a little bit on the threading. “It shouldn’t take but a few minutes. We’ll make sure it’s secure all the way around.”
“OK, let’s pause here a moment.” Papa ran his fingers across face and cleared his throat. “I still want to think Ivy had a dream, but this is so much more real than a dream. I believe our home has had a visitation, and we need to take these Bible verses to heart. God entered covenant with Abraham, with man. I see now that covenant goes both ways.”
Jessica scrunched up her face. “What do you mean, Papa...both ways?”
Papa reached over and patted her head. “Good question. Abraham recognized that everything he had, especially his most precious possession, Isaac, belonged to God. And, because of covenant, everything God had, especially His Son, belonged to us. So God Himself gave us His Son as our provision. I really like how it says, ‘The Lord will provide’. He will provide whatever we need, and there is no time limit here. Jesus is our help, not just so we can go to Heaven, but so we know He will help us now.”
Papa sat for a moment, first gazing at his hands, then the quilt, then the members of his family. “He will provide for us now, in this time. He is the God of provision, the One Who sees ahead and provides. He knew about our needs after the fire. I think we’ve forgotten as a family that He can perform miracles. We need to renew our joy in knowing we are in covenant with the Great Provider. All we have is His and all that He is belongs to us. We are blessed and we will get through these difficult times.
The family grasped each other’s hands, closed their eyes and thanked Jesus and praised God for His goodness.
Papa prayed first. “Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank you for this amazing event, this marvelous Christmas visitation. You came as a baby and we celebrate that today, but now we celebrate this gift of Your love to us, Your words of truth. We ask You to forgive us for not trusting You to provide our every need.”
Mama continued. “Lord, we are so sorry that we have let our joy slip. We thank You that You gave Your Son and You will still meet our every need. You have already given us so much and we trust our future to You.”
The girls and James nodded. “Yes, yes. Amen.”
“Uh-oh.” Jenny pointed. “Silly Tilly played while we prayed.” The cat was playing with the loose threads and had worked an opening in the corner of the quilt. The batting that gave the quilt its fluff started to sift out.
“Oh, no,” Ivy and Mama sighed together. They shooed the cat away and began examining the damage.
“What is this?” Mama squinted her eyes. “Paper batting?” She picked up some of the batting off the floor.
“Looks like money to me.” James peered into the opening. “I think it looks like a whole lot of money.” He reached in and pulled out two pieces of currency. Gasps filled the air. “Ivy, didn’t you say that Grandma told you to take off the muslin backing. She must have wanted you to find the money. Good thing you and Mama didn’t sew that up.” James tipped his head at Mama and Ivy and smiled. Then he patted the cat on the head. “Good cat, silly Tilly. You just saved the day.” Tilly rolled over quickly and began to purr.
Papa examined the money. “Sure looks real to me. Guess we better see
what we’ve got in there.” He laughed. “This just gets more interesting and surprising every minute.”
“This is fun.” Jenny turned to Ivy. “Did you know this was going to happen, Ivy? Did they tell you there was money?”
“No, they talked about provision...God’s covenant. And Grandma did say she wanted me to finish the quilt. But…” Ivy ran her hand through her hair. “I never expected this. And I wasn’t sure if it was just a dream or really happening.”
Each one reached in and pulled out batting and more money than they had seen in a very long time. Tilly batted the batting all over the floor, while James and Jessica and Jenny tried to count the amount of cash from the quilt.
“Looks like your college fund is back intact, plus a lot more.” Papa reached over and ruffled Ivy’s hair like he did when she was little. “I always felt so bad having to use your college funds after the fire. I prayed that God would provide for you in time for college.”
“What a Christmas, Ivy.” Mama squeezed her arm. “You have a quilt and a college fund.”
“Wait! Wait!” Ivy jumped to her feet. “Wait. Grandma and Granddad said to remember the quilt was mine, but what was inside belonged to Mama and Papa. I thought they meant that I needed to do better inside myself, inside my heart, and help you more. And, well, I do want to do that, and I am going to do that. But, they mainly meant what’s inside the quilt. It’s not mine. It’s yours, Mama and Papa. The quilt is mine, but the money inside belongs to you. Build a new store, and by the time I need college funds, the money will be there, from Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees ahead and provides.”
EPILOGUE
The Rushton family gathered in front of the Christmas tree. The pine scent from the tree combined with the woodsy fragrance of the wood floors and walls. It was Ivy’s favorite sensation of Christmas. She closed her eyes. The smells from breakfast were fainter now. The family finished off a big meal of bacon, eggs, and toast. It was the only acceptable breakfast at Christmas now, in honor of the visitation the year before. Ivy and Mama were up early to get it ready and tip-toed into the kitchen, wondering if there would be another visit from Ivy’s grandparents.
Christmas Ivy Page 3