The SONshine Ornament

This Hallmark Keepsake ornament might not look like it has anything to do with Jesus, but I’m here to tell you it does.  I knew I had to tell the story of how God “spoke” to me with this perfectly timed, uniquely designed ornament that now hangs on our tree.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Does God really exist?  Does He really answer prayer?  And if so, does He really ‘speak’ to people?”  Read on, friend…

In February of this year, I lost a dearly beloved friend.  Her name was Alicia, and she was 54 years young.  A world traveler full of life and vibrancy and the picture of health, Alicia was the last person anyone would have thought would lose her life so suddenly from symptoms of a common cold.  I was shocked and dumbfounded, along with so many others, when I got the call.

After the disbelief came many tears of grief, and in the tears came many questions to God. “Why Alicia?  Why now, Lord?  She had so much life left to live.”  She was the kind of person who had a shining personality that was contagious.  You couldn’t help but laugh when you were around her, and she had a way of making every person in conversation feel like she was genuinely interested in their life, even if it was their first time meeting her.  It was a true gift she had, reflected in her hundreds of friendships.  “Social Butterfly” is a term that describes Alicia well…still having a lot more flying to do when her life was suddenly cut short.

When I asked God why, I didn’t get an answer.  In the answerless silence, more questions followed.  “Where is she now?  Is she in heaven with You, Jesus?  Can You please give me some sort of sign?  I must,  I MUST know!?!”

The first sign came in a Walmart store. I was standing in the wrapping paper aisle, thinking to myself, ‘What sort of wrapping paper is the right kind of paper for a funeral?’ I had some gifts I wanted to give to Alicia’s family at the funeral I’d be speaking at that day.  As I scanned the racks of wrapping paper choices, my eyes stopped on plain yellow tissue paper.  As I looked at the yellow paper, I heard these words in my spirit:

That’s it – there it is. Yellow tissue paper.  Yellow is for sunshine, and Alicia was sunshine.

I was second-guessing my choice of paper as I headed to the register.  This is the kind of paper you’re supposed to stuff inside of a gift bag…It’s not meant to be wrapping paper.  Yet something kept me moving forward with the yellow-is-for sunshine paper, and I wrapped the gifts with it before heading to the funeral.

Arriving early at the service, I was greeted by Sherry, another close friend of Alicia’s.  “Here, have a lapel pin!” Sherry said, holding out her cupped hands filled with small, round gold pins.  As I took one from the pile, I had to look closely to make out the image on the pin.  “It’s sunshine,” Sherry explained, “Because Alicia was sunshine.”

WHOA.  I felt goosebumps (Godbumps!) as Sherry said those words.  It seemed to be an indicator that my yellow tissue paper purchase in Walmart was not just a random thing or ‘my own’ idea.  I had definitely felt directed to buy it with a clear-as-day thought of ‘Yellow is for sunshine, and Alicia was sunshine.’  Now, I was hearing those exact words coming out of Sherry’s mouth as she handed me a lapel pin.  ‘Is that a sign, God?’  I wondered.  Hmmmm.

I spoke during the service about how Alicia impacted my life, and the things I’d learned from her during our 30+ years of friendship.  It was a hard speech to get through.  When all of the speakers were done, there were two songs played that were chosen by Alicia’s family to honor her memory.

Then, a third song was played that had been specifically chosen by Alicia, unbeknownst to anyone prior to that day.  Several years before, Alicia had taken it upon herself to make her funeral arrangement choices, which had been in a file at this funeral home.  Though she was in perfect health and didn’t expect a file like this would be needed anytime soon, being single and never married she was used to getting things done on her own.  That was Alicia – never wanting to be a burden to anyone.

So here we were, sitting in the funeral home service about to hear the song Alicia had specifically chosen for her own funeral.  As the first notes of Katrina and the Waves “Walking on Sunshine” started to play, I almost fell out of my chair.  WHOA!?!  What?!

We were all crying and smiling at the same time, because it was just like Alicia to pick that song.  I was silently thanking the Lord for the 3-in-a-row ‘Godwinks’ I knew I’d been given, as I felt ‘a wave’ of amazement and peace wash over me.   I could clearly picture Alicia in that moment, doing exactly what “her song” depicted:

I’m walkin’ on sunshine, Whoa

I’m walkin’ on sunshine, Whoa

I’m walkin’ on sunshine, Whoa

And don’t it feel good!  

Nine months later, November was rolling around.  I was in the middle of creating that month’s God and My Girlfriends guest blog -- a FRIENDSGIVING compilation of recipes, table decorating tips, and traditions.

One of our guest bloggers, LaShea Colson, had shared a touching Thanksgiving tradition involving Hallmark ornaments her family has been doing for years.  I just needed one more thing to finish the blog:  a photo of Hallmark ornaments to go along with LaShea’s blog share.

As I set about searching for just the right image to go in the blog, 30 minutes of clicking around on the internet landed me on a mind-blowing surprise.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing:  a brand new Hallmark ornament just released this year, titled… Walking on Sunshine!

At the touch of the ornament’s button, you hear the sound of Katrina and the Waves belting out “Alicia’s” song.  I was amazed at how the design of its sunshine character, wearing sunglasses and basking on a raft with an umbrella drink, so perfectly represents my friend.  Alicia absolutely loved being in or around any kind of water – any ocean, any lake, any swimming pool – so much so that she wanted her ashes scattered in the ocean.

A wave of amazement and peace washed over me once again, just like I’d felt at the funeral that day. Of all the Hallmark ornaments ever designed, and in all the years they’ve been making them, THIS happens to be the year they chose to release THIS ornament.  The year my sunshine friend left this earth, leaving behind this exact sunshine song.  How many things had to be perfectly orchestrated by the hand of God, for THIS to be the year of THIS ornament?  He is outside of time and space, and He knew ahead of time the prayer I would pray when I got the news about my friend.

This Christmas and every Christmas to come, when I hang this ornament on our tree I’ll picture my friend happily strolling on a ray of sunshine in heaven, humming along with Katrina and the Waves.  And I’ll say a little prayer of thanks to God, that He made sure I got His message loud and clear:

”Alicia is here with Me now…and she’s walking on SONshine.” 

Video of a song written in Alicia’s memory:  “This Side of the Veil”

reSOURCEs

If you’ve read this blog and consider it all just “coincidence”, I hope you’ll consider again.  God is all around you, and the Creator of the universe speaks in endlessly creative ways.  He reveals Himself in rainbows and sunsets, in snowfalls and birds singing, and in all kinds of music even beyond gospel songs and church hymns.  Just ask Him to speak to you…then watch, and listen.  Here are some reSOURCEs I’ve found helpful in my faith journey about prayer and hearing from God: Prayer and Hearing from God reSOURCEs 

If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, or are wondering about heaven, here are some of my favorite books on these subjects: Heaven and Life Beyond Death reSOURCEs