Chant’s Hill
A Family Christmas Story
By Mo Hodge
This week I traveled one of my favorite routes . . . up I-69 from Anderson, IN to Decatur, IN. Along that route there’s a spot that I call “Chant’s Hill”. I gave it that name because of something that happened along that stretch of road, which now reminds me every time I pass, how very near and dear this hill is to my heart.
On Christmas Eve Day back in 1980 there was an old couple traveling northbound going up the hill toward the SR 5 exit. They were on their way to a Christmas celebration at their son’s house. And, I’m that son. That’s why what happened that day, on that little hill, will always be one of my treasured memories. And why I call it “Chant’s Hill.”
On that cold, wintry day, as my parents were on their way to our home, my dad’s car broke down. This was long before the days of cell phones. My dad got out of his car and stood by the road, hoping someone would stop to help. And someone did stop.
I’m sure they were busy with their own holiday trip to see their loved ones. Their entire family was in the car. But they stopped anyway. And they packed my mom and dad into their car and took them into their hearts.
On the way to the next exit they got to know each other. The young man who stopped was Chant Thompson, who was at that time the Director of Admissions at Huntington College. He and his wife and family adopted my parents into their family that Christmas Eve. No longer strangers, they loved them as if they were their own.
And I will never forget them. Each time I travel that hill; the memory warms my heart. Thank you, Chant Thompson, for going out of your way that day for an old couple with a broke down car. The love you showed them will always inspire me to do my best to love people the way you did.
How will you love someone this Christmas?
Love, Mo
As founding Pastor of The Bridge Community Church www.thebridgecc.org and Executive Director of Mo Hodge Ministries, Mo resources Pastors and Leaders in the area of leadership development. He enables Pastors and leaders in the following areas: Developing Teams, Church Growth, Church Planting, Discipleship Multiplication, Nonprofit Organizational Management, Multi-site Church Development, Public Speaking, Capital Campaigns, and Sr. Pastor Succession. …
Mo and his wife, Nancy, live in Anderson, IN with their children and grandchildren. Though retired, Mo is still active in ministry, preaching, teaching, and planting new churches wherever the Lord leads. You can follow him on LinkedIn or through his Newsletter.
Feature Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay
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