Growing up my Dad’s oldest brother and family lived in Raleigh, NC. It seemed like the other side of the world. That 3-3 ½ hour drive was awful to our small selves. It seemed we would never get there.

Uncle Jimmy was a contractor. We lived simply but he had an in-ground pool back in the early sixties and in the very back of his property, his own airstrip. He had a plane. We thought that was amazing. No other private citizen we knew had their own plane.

When they came home to visit, they came in that plane. In the days leading up to their arrival we became more and more excited. Mama would always say I ran a fever the night before they came…so excited to see my cousins. They were so far away, our visits were far between. Their coming was a big event. Highly anticipated.

We always had an approximate time for their arrival. When we heard that plane coming, we knew it was them. Uncle Jimmy came in just over the tree tops. He would circle my grandparents house and ours. My cousins would have their arms and heads out those small windows waving and shouting even though we couldn’t hear. After several passes around the farm, they would head to Monroe to the airport. The old airport was located at what is now the corner of Old Charlotte Hwy and Martin Luther King Blvd.

For our part, we couldn’t get Daddy in the car fast enough to go pick them up. He would “put that Buick in the wind”. I don’t know why the deputies never stopped us.

The airport reunion was always the same, hugs and smiles and talking as fast as possible to catch up.

That is Advent for me. Waiting for Messiah. Anticipating His coming. So excited to know for certain that he is coming. He is coming. Rejoice! Rejoice! Come Lord Jesus.