An Antique Store Christmas

My two daughters and I walked into an antique store when they were very young. Intrigue met them with every glance. History was on display and there was a story behind each item. Porcelain dolls with tattered dresses, ancient doll-houses meticulously built by craftsmen of another era: Shoes and lacy dresses and hats and rocking horses. Their imaginations were ignited and dreams were being sown in their hearts.

We made our way through the maze of unorganized isles. Eventually near the back of the antique store, my youngest sat down at an ancient miniature piano. She knew it was made just for her. It was about her size. Failing to notice the “do not touch sign” she began to play a Christmas carol. The moment was priceless. It awakened something in the store and in the hearts of those nearby.

But then out of nowhere the shop owner bolted with her booming voice, “Do not play that piano.” And just like that, the dreams were shattered, life left that store, and my girls felt shame. We left and my heart was broken. To tell you the truth, I was enraged at the owner. She turned a defining moment of joy into a defining moment of guilt.

While on a flight across the country the next day, God downloaded the truth of the incident. Often He uses story to speak to me and the story always has a heavenly twist. So I typed as fast as I could. Three hours later He had delivered to me the truth in a children’s Christmas story. It is a story for dads and granddads to read to their children. The children will love it… but it may change a dad forever. It is called Guardian of Her Dream. And… my girls and I returned and bought the piano as soon as my plane landed back home. I am looking at it as I write.

This year, I received a call from a young aspiring filmmaker in L.A. She had been called out to Hollywood to learn the industry and pursue her dreams of producing life changing faith-based films. After several years she felt discouraged, fed up with the industry in general and worn out by the loneliness she encountered as a young woman of faith in a seemingless Godless industry.

So what did her daddy do? Well of course he sent her a golf book! Haha! Well it was a golf book, Johnny’s U.S. Open (the sequel to Seven Days in Utopia), where I had embedded the short story in chapter eight. As her dream guardian he asked her to read that chapter. She shared with me that it was her story. It ignited old dream seed.

I met with her and her daddy a few months ago to pray and ask the Lord what He wanted to do. Last week I received a screenplay from her. With the anointing of God she penned an exquisite expanded film version of Guardian of Her Dream. By God’s perfect and precise grace this will become our next movie… a Christmas movie. I am in awe of how God continues to take hard moments and turn them into treasure.

Merry Christmas from the Links of Utopia family. I believe that God will bring treasure to you in the form of awe this season. Should He lead you, we have Guardian of Her Dream (the short story) ready to send out in packs of 10 or more to hand to all the dads (and children) in your life who need an encouraging message this Christmas. Just click here at it will take you there.