Wharton Texas Christmas
Where The Sprit Of Christmas Comes To Life
Helping others in need is the true meaning of Christmas
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'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house |
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Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
SANTA GOT STUCK IN THE Chimney
It was Christmas Eve. The children had hung their stockings by the fireplace and were all snug in their beds.
Sometime during the night, they were visited by a big, jolly, old man dressed in red. You got it, it was Santa Claus!
Santa and his bright red toy bag came down the chimney. This was his last stop of the night. First, he filled each stocking with special treats. Then, for each child, he left some gifts.
"A new bike for Suzie," said Santa, pulling a beautiful pink bicycle out of his bag. "And, a train set for Billy."
By the time Santa was finished his work, he was a little hungry. He spotted a glass of milk and a plate of goodies, sitting on the kitchen table.
"I'll just take one," said Santa, reaching for a piece of chocolate cake. "If I eat too much, I might get stuck in the chimney on my way out."
The cake was so gooey and so good that Santa just had to have another slice. Soon, the plate was empty.
"Oh my!" said Santa, realizing what he had done. "I'm so full now!"
Santa got up from the chair. As he did, he heard it snap in two.
"Oh my!" said Santa again. "I've broken the chair!"
Santa gathered up his bag and went over to the chimney. With a twinkle of his eyes and a twitch of his nose, up the chimney he rose. However, he was only able to get halfway up the chimney before he got stuck. He tried to go further, but the further he went, the more he got stuck.
Oh no!" said Santa. "I'm stuck!"
No matter what Santa did, he could not get out. He dangled in mid-air with his big black boots hanging over the fireplace.
"I'm glad there is no fire on right now," said Santa, after a few hours had gone by. "My feet would get pretty hot!"
Morning soon came. Suzie and Billy were quite anxious to go downstairs and see what Santa had brought them. They both went into their parents bedroom.
"Merry Christmas!" they shouted.
"Merry Christmas, children!" Mom and Dad said.
Within a few minutes, the whole family was downstairs. Suzie spotted the empty plate.
"Santa Claus was here!" she exclaimed. "And, he ate all the goodies."
Billy noticed the broken chair.
"Yeah," he said. "He ate so much that he broke the chair."
Dad was by the fireplace. He had just placed some kindling into it and was about to strike a match, when he just happened to look up. He saw a pair of big, black rubber boots hanging down.
"That's nothing children!" Dad said, tugging on one of the boots with all his might. "Santa is still here!"
The children rushed over to the fireplace. They helped Dad pull Santa out of the chimney. They tugged and tugged and tugged. Finally, down came Santa, with a crash.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" he rang. "Merry Christmas!"
He was gone in a flash, this time, out the front door.
"What was all the commotion about?" Mom asked, coming out of the kitchen.
"Oh, it was just Santa Claus," laughed Billy. "He was so fat from eating all your baked goods that he not only broke the chair that he was sitting on, but he also got stuck in the chimney!"
The whole family laughed.
A heavy thump, thump, thump was heard on the roof of their house and then a jingle, jingle, jingle and finally, a "Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!"
A BLUE CHRISTMAS
It was Christmas Eve and Mrs. Wilson, an elderly woman, was sitting in her rocking chair, listening to Christmas carols on her radio. This was a family tradition that went on for many, many years. Christmas just wasn't Christmas in the Wilson household without listening to carols on the radio.
"Oh my!" she sighed. "I'm so lonely. I wish my son, Paul were here to share Christmas with me!"
Mrs. Wilson lived alone in a small apartment. This particular Christmas was very rough on her. Normally, Christmas was spent with Paul, his wife Nelly, and their son Johnny. However, this could not happen this Christmas. Paul had lost his wife and son in a car accident earlier that fall. It was a very difficult time for Mrs. Wilson, but especially for Paul. Oh, how he had loved his wife and child!
A few days ago, Mrs. Wilson had called her son to ask him to join her for Christmas.
"Ma, I can't," Paul had told her. "I miss them so terribly. I keep expecting them to show up at the doorstep. Christmas will never be the same."
"Oh Paul," cried Mrs. Wilson. "I know this is difficult for you, but do you honestly think that you should be alone at a time like this. Come on, we can have our own Christmas, just me and you."
"I don't know," said Paul. "Right now, yeah, I do think that being alone is the answer."
"Well dear," she replied sadly. "If you change your mind, I'll be here."
"Thanks Ma," said Paul. "And, Ma, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too, son," said Mrs. Wilson.
The radio program was just finishing up for the night. Mrs. Wilson, yawning, got up and turned it off.
"The radio program just wasn't the same this year," she sighed as she went into her bedroom. "It's just not the same without Paul, Nelly and Johnny. I sure wish Paul would change his mind."
Later that night, she was awakened by a strange sound coming from her living room. Quickly, she grabbed her house coat and went to see what was going on. There, standing by the Christmas Tree, with his arms full of presents, was Paul.
"Oh Paul!" cried Mrs. Wilson. "I'm so glad to see you."
She embraced her son as tightly as she could.
"I just got to thinking that maybe being alone wasn't the right thing," said Paul. "After all, aren't we supposed to spend Christmas with family?"
"Yes, dear, we are," said Mrs. Wilson, happily. "I'm so glad you came."
"You know," said Paul. "I'm glad I did too."
"Can I get you something to eat, Paul?" asked Mrs. Wilson. "I have some apple pie and ice-cream."
"Now that sounds good," said Paul. "Come to think of it, I'm starved."
Mrs. Wilson dished Paul out a heaping dish full of homemade apple pie and a huge serving of vanilla ice-cream.
"You know," said Paul taking a fork-full of pie. "Johnny used to love your apple pie and ice-cream. Remember the first time he had some."
"Yes, I do," said Mrs. Wilson. "It was his first Christmas. Remember the mess he made. He had the pie and ice-cream everywhere!"
"Nelly sure had one mess to clean up after that one," said Paul sadly. "Boy I sure do miss them."
A tear formed on the corner of his eye. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
"It sure is hard on you, isn't it son?" asked Mrs. Wilson, sadly.
"It sure is," said Paul. "But, do you know something? It feels good to talk to someone about them. I've been keeping this all bottled up inside of me and it just isn't doing me any good."
"I'm here for you, son," said Mrs. Wilson. "Anytime you feel like talking, I'm here."
"Thanks, Mom," said Paul.
Paul slept on the couch in the living room that night. When he woke up, he could smell his favourite Christmas breakfast cooking, peameal bacon and eggs.
"That smells delicious," said Paul, sitting down at the table a few minutes later. "Is that a turkey I smell, too?"
"It sure is," smiled Mrs. Wilson. "You can't have Christmas without a turkey."
Paul reached over and turned the radio on.
"We can't have Christmas without Christmas carols, either," said Paul.
"Oh Paul," cried Mrs. Wilson. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you too, Ma," said Paul.
The Little Girl
Santa Claus Didn't Know
A poor woman wandered through the city streets on a cold and miserable winter evening. She was expecting a baby and about to give birth. Each step brought her closer to that moment. Eventually she had to squat down behind some dustbins. If you had been there you would shortly afterwards have heard the baby's first cry. But of course you weren't there, for little Maria was born on Christmas Eve. At that time you were probably waiting impatiently for Santa Claus to knock on your door.
The poor woman wrapped her baby tightly in a shawl to protect her from the cold wind. She looked down at her, smiled and carried her gently to some cardboard boxes where she lived. No doubt you think that Santa Claus should have given Maria a present, but he had never heard of the poor woman and no one had told him that a tiny child had been born that Christmas Eve. No one in the whole city knew her or that she was expecting a baby. Santa Claus landed Rudolf the reindeer and his sleigh in the town square.
He consulted his big book of names, and went from door to door handing out presents. On his way he passed by the cardboard boxes where the poor woman lay with her new-born child. He thought he heard a baby cry but could see no one. To be quite certain he consulted his book again, but there was no mention of a child living there. "It's just my imagination," he thought, and continued through the city with his gifts for the children.
Maria turned 1, 2 and 3 years and still Santa Claus knew nothing about her. She lived with her mother, and all they had to eat were the scraps of food they could find in the dustbins. They were badly clothed, in hardly more than rags, and very poor. At night they still lay under their cardboard boxes as they had no real house to live in.
By the time Maria turned 4 and Christmas Eve came around once again she realised something was wrong. They sat in their cardboard house and watched as Santa Claus landed in the nearby street. Santa took a large sack of presents and went from door to door with gifts for the children, but he didn't come to her.
Maria turned to her mother and asked "Mummy, why don't I get Christmas presents like the other children?" Her mother did not know. "Perhaps it's because we are so poor," she replied stroking Maria's hair consolingly. "Didn't you get presents when you were little?" she asked. "No," her mother said, "I was never given any presents either. Maria thought this most unfair. She glanced across at Santa's sleigh and wondered whether she should run across to it and wait there until he returned. Then she would say to him "Here I am Santa Claus, why don't I get presents like all the other children?"Yes, that's what she would do!
She ran from the cardboard boxes and jumped into Santa's sleigh. Her mother shouted after her to come back. But just then Santa came out of a house and hurried back to his sleigh. Maria became frightened when she saw Santa Claus coming towards her so she ducked down between the large sacks of presents. Santa Claus jumped in, grabbed the reins and shouted "Gee up Rudolf." Before Maria had time to think, Rudolf set off down the street.
From her hiding-place among the sacks she saw her mother standing by the cardboard boxes watching what happened, in dismay. Maria wondered whether she should jump off, but suddenly they were airborne. She peeped cautiously down, the wind blew through her hair and she could see tiny houses with yellow lights far below. Above her the stars twinkled and the moon smiled down at her. Santa Claus held the reins and Rudolf galloped as fast as he could go.
She was rather frightened, and that isn't so surprising, but she believed Santa Claus to be a kind man. She studied him for a while from her hiding-place. He looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He smiled and laughed and sang Christmas carols the whole time. His white beard looked very soft and warm and his eyes shone.
She crept carefully from her hiding- place so he could see her. She was very embarrassed as you can well imagine, but also very excited. When Santa Claus saw her among his sacks of presents he was quite startled. "Ho, ho, what's this, have I got a visitor?" he said and smiled. "And a little princess too, what a lovely surprise. Who are you?" Maria looked shyly down at her shoes and replied "I am a girl you don't know.
"Santa Claus looked shocked. "I don't know you? It can't be true," he said "look here, I have lists of every little girl and boy in the whole world," and he showed her his book of names. Maria was feeling much braver by this time. She looked at him and said "It's quite true Santa Claus. You don't know me, and you didn't know my mummy either when she was a little girl. I was born behind some dustbins on Christmas Eve four years ago."
Santa Claus looked very upset. "Is that so," he said seriously. "Have neither you nor your mother ever had any presents from me? How dreadful. Now you must tell me your name."Maria gave Santa Claus her name and he looked through all his books. He searched and searched but couldn't find her anywhere. "Then I had better add you to my list," he said. Santa Claus took out his pen and wrote her name in the book. "There we are, now I will make sure that a present is made for you every year.
" Maria realised that she wouldn't be getting any gifts this year either. First they had to be made in Santa Claus's workshop. She was terribly disappointed and turned away so that Santa Claus shouldn't see the tears rolling down her cheeks.
But Santa Claus is a wise man and knew what Maria was thinking. "I am terribly sorry," he said, "I only have presents for the children listed in my book." He put his arm around her and gave her a hug. "Don't be sad," he said, "I have something even better here in my pocket.
"Santa Claus took out a glass ball and showed it to her. It was full of water and inside was a cosy little red house. "As you have never had a Christmas present and because it is your birthday today, I am going to give you this magic ball." Maria held it in her hands and smiled. It was smooth and shiny and when she shook it, it became full of snow which fell slowly onto the roof of the house.
"Thank you," she said and curtsied. "It is really lovely." Santa Claus smiled at her fondly. "It is a very special glass ball. When you shake this one you can make a wish at the same time." Maria looked at the ball and thought of all the things she would like, but then Santa continued: "But you will only be granted one wish, so you must choose carefully. It must be something you need very badly.
"By now they had arrived at the next town on Santa Claus' list. He pulled on the reins and steered Rudolf down towards the ground. Maria clasped the glass ball tightly as they descended. The tiny houses grew larger and larger and she could even see a train far below. Rudolf looped around the church steeple and landed in front of the railway station. Maria would have liked to stay with Santa Claus and help him deliver the presents. She looked up at him and said "Do you think . . ?"
But Santa knew what she had in mind. He leant towards her and said, "I am very busy you know and must hurry around to all the children before Christmas Eve is over. Your mother is sure to be very worried about you, so here is a ticket for the train to take you back home. "Maria gave Santa Claus a big hug and thanked him again for the present. Then she ran to the station and caught the first train home. She had the compartment to herself and sat looking through the window at the dark and silent snow-covered landscape passing by.
She thought of Santa Claus, of the trip in his sleigh and the beautiful glass ball he had given her. As she thought of the glass ball she took it out of her pocket. Now she had time to study it properly. She looked closely at the red house with its cosy little window and white painted door. The snowflakes lay still on the ground and roof, but if she shook it the snow would whirl around and slowly fall again. Maria began to feel very tired. The train chuffed steadily along the tracks "clickety clack, clickety clack." Marias eyelids slowly closed. She was looking at the little house as she fell asleep. In her dream she could see her mother inside it.
Then she became part of the dream. Maria and her mother lived in the little red house. Her mother opened a window to shake a rug while she whistled and sang happily. Maria dreamt she had a dolls pram which she pushed along the pavement. At that moment the glass ball slipped out of her hand and crashed to the floor. Maria woke with a start. Pieces of glass lay in a pool of water. The snowflakes were scattered about and in the middle of it all lay the little red house.
Maria was heartbroken when she saw what had happened. She had actually broken Santa Claus' magic gift! She tried to find all the pieces and put them together again, but it was no use. Maria fell on her knees by the broken glass ball and cried, her tears falling on the little house - drip, drip, drip. She picked up the house and pressed it close to her cheek. Then she saw something strange. Where the house had lain was a key, not a toy key, but a real big door key. Carefully she picked it up. It felt cold and heavy in her hand. She didn't understand the significance of the key so she continued to weep over the broken magic ball.
The closer she came to the town, the road and the cardboard boxes where she and her mother lived, the more she despaired. She thought of all the thousands of useful things they needed, one of which she could have wished for by shaking the glass ball, but now it was too late. The glass ball was broken and they must continue living in their boxes as before, freeze at night and eat what they could find in the dustbins.
But when she arrived home something very strange had happened. On the spot where their cardboard boxes normally stood was a small red house. It looked exactly like the little house in the glass ball, but this was a real house to live in. Her mother stood outside and was very pleased to see her little girl again. She hugged her so tightly that it almost hurt. "My darling little Maria are you all right?"
Maria dried her tears and told her mother about Santa Claus, his book of names and about the magic ball which she had dropped and broken on the train. Her mother told her of how she had gone for a walk looking for food, and found the red house when she returned. She was wondering who owned it, because no one had moved in. The annoying thing about it was that all their belongings, including the packing cases lay underneath it, so now they had absolutely nothing at all, and that on Christmas Eve of all things. Maria looked closely at the house and remarked: "It looks exactly like the little red house in the glass ball." Then she remembered the key she had found and took it out of her pocket. "Do you know something, Mummy, when I picked up the little house I found this key lying underneath it - do you think it fits?"
Her mother took the key and inspected it closely. Without a word she stepped up to the white door and put the key in the lock. She turned it slowly and with a joyful little "click" the door opened. They entered the house cautiously side by side, and there in the hall stood a dolls pram complete with doll - exactly like the one she had dreamed about. Then Maria understood what had happened. Her dream on the train had come true at the same moment the glass ball had broken and shown her the key. It was her house! Her wish had been granted exactly as Santa Claus had promised.
In that way Maria and her mother got a real house to live in, and Santa Claus came with presents every Christmas. He always gave Maria an extra big hug because he never forgot how surprised and pleased he had been to find her in his sleigh on that Christmas Eve.
The Real First Night of Christmas
'Twas the first night of Christmas a long time ago
The hillside was peaceful, the moon was aglow.
The world couldn't know from what happened before
That men would remember this night evermore.
The sheep on the hillside--their days journey over
Were dreaming sweet dreams of a field full of clover.
The shepherds were watchful while guarding their flock
The earth was their pillow, the stars were their clock.
Then all of a sudden, they jumped at the sight
Of the sky all ablaze with a heavenly light.
They huddled in fear, then they started to rise
As the lightening-like flash tore open the skies.
The heavens were split by the silvery ray.
The dark disappeared and the night became day.
And lo, at the end of the rainbow of light
Appeared then an angel to banish their fright.
The angel brought news of a birth in a manger
And bade them to hasten to welcome the stranger.
For Mary had just given birth to a boy
Whose coming would bring so much comfort and joy.
A choir of angels looked down from the sky
And heavenly voices were heard from on high:
Peace be on earth and good will to all men.
The Savior has come on this night, Amen.
The heavenly angels then faded from sight.
The sky once again turned from day to night.
The shepherds all quietly rose from the ground
And hurried to go where the child would be found.
As they reached Bethlehem and the inn was in sight
From the barn came a trickle of half-hidden light.
It led like a path to a soft little bed
And shone very tenderly on a child's head.
The child in the manger was sleeping so sound
His eyes were still closed, as the shepherds stood round.
From that instant of grace on that night long ago
Thousands of years would be warmed by the glow.
Guided by light from a bright shining star
Came a pilgrimage led of three kings from afar.
They were dressed in the finest of satins and lace.
Their complexions were that of an Orient race.
The three wealthy kings were wise men and proud
But they went to the Christ child and solemnly bowed.
They came bearing treasures of incense and gold
To that sweet little child, still not very old.
The star in the sky twinkled down from above
The world was awakened to kindness and love.
The past was forgotten, the future was bright
And the spirit of Christmas was born on that night.
A Small White Envelope
A Christmas Story
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it- overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."
Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.
Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. God bless.
Teach the children . . .
Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired but content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn't help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn't long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes.
"Santa, what's wrong?" I asked, "Why are you crying?"
"It's the children," Santa replied sadly.
"But Santa, the children love you," I said.
"Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children."
"Teach them what?" I asked.
Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent."
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him."
"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." "He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift."
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep."
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's foot steps...to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see."
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane is in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
"Teach these things to the children."
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children."
I asked, "But where does that leave you, Santa?"
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why bless you, my dear," he laughed, "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten."
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
"That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you don't teach the children these things, then who will?"
A Mother's Christmas Wish
Suzanne Dean
Come dear family, gather 'round our Christmas tree;
Let us spend a little time in love and harmony.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord,
But I've a wish this year to see it's meaning's not ignored.
The gifts are neatly set about with names and tags and bows.
And Christmas goodies are in sight, the stockings are in rows.
But as I look into your faces, what I wish to see.
Is a love for Christ our Savior, not "What's Santa bringing me?"
Each time one of you were born and laid here in my arm,
I thought about the Christ child in the manger safe and warm.
I thought of how his life began, and all the things he taught.
I thought of how he died for us--that death could conquer not.
I wonder how his face would look, if these gifts to him we gave--
A shirt, a train, a story book. .which of these would he save?
I think he'd rather see us give kindness to each other,
To say our thanks and give our love to him, our oldest brother.
So, as the colored Christmas iights are blinking in your heads,
I hope to find you each with love, kneeling at your beds,
And giving him a birthday wish that will be sure to please:
Just vow to love your fellow man, and promise from your knees.
Then in the morning when you pass your Christmas gifts around,
Give the gift of love and joy. .let true peace here be found.
For Jesus will be here to join, he's told us so, you see.
"If you do it unto the least of these. .you do it unto me."
The Happiest Elf
By Jimmy Patterson
One day this past October, just when the air was turning crisp and the leaves on the trees were changing into bright shades of yellow and red and gold, Jovy the Elf walked into Santa's office.
"Boss," Jovy said. "I am tired."
"Well," said Santa, "take a couple of hours and get some rest. Take a nap. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and --"
Just then, Santa looked up and saw Jovy shaking his head and wiping away a tear from right in the very corner of his eye.
Santa Claus knew then that Jovy meant he wasn't tired just because he hadn't slept well the night before. Santa knew that Jovy was getting old. He had told Santa once before that he would soon like to start spending more time at home with his wife Rebecca.
"It will make me sad when you leave your job," Santa told Jovy. "You have always been my hardest-working elf. You have always been an elf that I am proud to have my other workers look up to. Nobody has been with me on as many Christmas Eve sleigh rides. I will miss you, Jovy, but you deserve happiness all the days of your life, and if it is staying at home with your Rebecca that makes you happy, then so be it."
"I will miss you, too," Jovy told Santa. "But I love my Rebecca very much. We are getting old and we would like to be able to spend more time with one another."
"I understand," Santa said.
"But what will you do, Santa? How will you be able to find someone to take my place in time for Christmas?"
Santa told Jovy he would be fine. "Don't you worry, Jovy. I will go to the newspaper tomorrow and ask them for some help finding another elf."
Secretly, Santa was worried. But he didn't want Jovy to know. It wasn't long until Christmas and Santa wasn't sure if he would be able to find another elf, especially one as hard-working as Jovy, a very special elf who also knew the real meaning of the season.
The next day, an advertisement appeared in the North Pole Gazette. It read:
"Help wanted at famous North Pole toy factory. Hard-working elf needed to help Santa Claus make toys for good little boys and girls. Any elf who would like to have this job needs to be a good, trustworthy helper who is willing to work long hours so that children around the world can have a Merry Christmas."
That afternoon, there was a knock at Santa's front door.
Santa went to the door an opened it. Standing there was a tiny elf holding a copy of that day's North Pole Gazette.
"Hello," Santa said. "Can I help you?"
"Yes sir. My name is Lucky. I am an elf who would like very much to have the job that you have available. I am trustworthy and hard-working and, well, I love toys, too!"
Santa told Lucky all about Jovy and how hard he had worked for him in all the years he was at the North Pole. Lucky had heard all about Jovy and knew he had a big job ahead of him.
"Gosh, Santa. Those are some mighty big slippers to have to fill."
"Yes they are, Lucky. But I will give you a chance if you think you can do the job."
"Oh yes, Santa. I know I can do the job. Just point me to the toy factory and show me where I can start. And, thanks, Santa."
Santa was glad someone wanted the job so quickly. It seemed like Lucky was going to be a good worker who would also enjoy his job.
There was going to be only one problem as Santa would later find out.
Santa led Lucky to the factory where all the toys were made.
As Lucky walked into the gigantic room, his mouth dropped open and his eyes sparkled with magic.
Never, ever, ever had Lucky seen so many toys. There were bikes and dolls and animals and games, trikes and sandboxes and puppets and trains.
There were toys everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except for one corner of the room where The Happiest Elf there sat a big stack of neatly-folded clothes. There were big shirts and little shirts, long pants and short pants. There were dresses and p-j's and overcoats, too. And at the very tip top of this humongous stack of clothes, there was one great big sock, red and blue with yellow stripes, too.
Lucky looked at the stack of clothes and scratched the top of his head.
"Hey Santa ... why all the clothes? Why are they here in your famous toy factory?"
"Well, I expect you'll learn about that soon enough."
Lucky shrugged his shoulders and again stared at all the toys. "So, where do I get started?"
Santa put Lucky to work hammering nails into toy boxes. Santa noticed that Lucky was a good worker and that he finished his tasks quickly. But Santa also knew that he was going to have to teach Lucky a little bit more about what Christmas really meant.
Santa returned to his office to begin the long, but mostly enjoyable task, of reading the letters that children from all over the world had sent.
Santa always chuckled when he read letters from children who wanted bright new bikes or beautiful new baby dolls. What made Santa even happier was when he could take a big bag of those toys right down a great big chimney on Christmas Eve.
When Santa was able to visit the houses where all the children were happy, he always left with a smile on his face thinking about how surprised and thankful they would be the next morning.
But when Santa opened letters from children who needed things much more than toys, it would always cause him to become very sad.
Letters from children who needed clothes or food or warm blankets would often begin, "Dear Santa, I usually ask you for toys, but this year mom and dad said they don't have much money this Christmas."
Santa hoped that a Christmas would come some year very soon when he would no longer have to open letters like those, but he also knew there would always be kids who would need so much more than just toys.
Santa folded up a letter and remembered how Jovy had always packed the bags filled with clothes and shoes and blankets with special care and love. But before closing those bags, Jovy would always put a few sprinkles of candy, and some Christmas cookies baked from the heart by Mrs. Claus.
It was 2 o'clock in the morning when Santa looked up at the clock. He was very tired from spending the whole day reading letters from boys and girls.
"Maybe just one more," Santa said to himself as he rubbed his eyes.
Just then, there was a knock at Santa's door.
"Come in," Santa said.
It was Lucky.
"My goodness, Lucky, what on earth are you still doing up?"
"I have been working all day putting toys together," Lucky told Santa. "I think everything is almost finished and we will be able to leave on time." Christmas was just one short month away.
Santa chuckled softly. He knew Lucky meant well. But Santa and his elves still had quite a lot of work to do before Rudolph could be told to start the Christmas Eve journey.
"What about the clothes in the corner?" Santa asked Lucky.
"What about them?"
"Before we go anywhere, we must get the clothes ready to go," Santa said.
"But where will we be able to fit them on the sleigh, Santa? And why must we take clothes?"
"Here," Santa said. "Read this."
Lucky began reading to himself.
"Dear Santa," the letter said. "My name is Jennifer. It's been a hard year for us. We lost our farm because we had a lot of rain and it washed away all the corn daddy was growing. Now, daddy says we might lose our house, too. Santa, I usually ask for toys, but this year my mom needs some new shoes, and my daddy really could use a new work hat and some work gloves. I suppose I need a new dress, but only if you have enough room in your sleigh. Thank you Santa. Love, Jennifer."
Lucky looked sad. He never knew that children had to ask for clothes at Christmas. He had always thought that Christmas was a time to spread joy with toys and other happy presents.
Lucky never knew until this very moment that some children need clothes and shoes and jackets even more than toys. Lucky suddenly realized this was all the happiness some kids would ever know -- or ever want.
Lucky put down the letter and turned to walk away.
"Are you OK?" Santa asked.
Lucky had a sad look on his face. But it was a look that told Santa that Lucky was beginning to understand about the real Christmas spirit..
A week passed by. Then two weeks. And finally three.
Lucky worked hard in the toy factory. Santa noticed that instead of nailing together toy boxes and building bicycles, Lucky was extra busy putting clothes in bright, shiny bags for children who were in need.
Santa realized that teaching Lucky the real meaning of Christmas may not be as hard as he first thought. He could see that Lucky was a fast learner.
Although Lucky hadn't yet learned to put a special surprise inside each bag full of clothes, he was happy Lucky had learned how important it was to get the clothes ready for Christmas Eve.
Santa's long journey was only one night away, and for the first time since seeing Lucky standing outside his front door, it felt like he would be able to leave on time and make it to all the children's houses before the sun rose on Christmas morning.
The hardest work was now behind Santa and his helpers. All that was left now was loading the sleigh and making sure the reindeer were in working order.
Vixen needed a few extra oats.
Donner always had to have his hooves sharpened.
Blitzen and Dancer always wanted a couple of extra glasses of Grade A reindeer milk before the trip, while Comet and Cupid usually insisted that their antlers glisten brightly.
Dasher had to have a few extra hours of sleep while Prancer set his alarm 20 minutes early so he could get an extra lap around the reindeer track just to strengthen his leg muscles.
And Rudolph, of course, always had to have his nose checked out just to make sure it was as bright and shiny as it had been on all the journeys of Christmas Eves past.
With all the reindeer taken care of and all the presents snuggly tucked into Santa's overflowing sleigh, the only thing left to do was for Santa to get a few hours rest himself.
He was about to lock up his office when there came another knock at the door.
It was Lucky again.
"Santa?" Lucky took a deep breath. "I know you don't normally allow this, but I was hoping you could change the rules just once and let me come along with you on your Christmas Eve journey. I was hoping to personally give some of the children bags of clothing that I packed for them this year. It would mean a lot to me."
Santa removed his glasses and scratched the long white whiskers that hung from his chin. He was proud of Lucky.
"You have come a long way since you first knocked on my door, Lucky. I will take you with me. I could use a little extra help. It's not as easy getting down chimneys as it used to be."
"I'll be there for you, Santa."
"I know I can count on you, Lucky."
"There's one other thing I was hoping for, Santa. Jennifer, the little girl who lives on the farm ... can we stop by her house early in the night? I'd like to meet her."
"We'll see," Santa said. "We'll see."
A bitter, winter wind howled and curled around Santa's North Pole toy factory. It had always been cold on Christmas Eve, but Santa couldn't remember it ever being quite this cold. He was glad Lucky had asked to go on the journey with him. He would need the help.
With the cold wind whirring down his neck, Santa made sure all the reindeer were safely strapped to the sleigh, a sleigh joyfully brimming with toys, goodies, and, of course, clothes for Jennifer and all the other kids who needed them.
Lucky had made sure the bags full of clothes were strapped in tighter than all the other packages.
With a gentle snap from Santa's wrists and a merry "Ho, Ho, Ho," Rudolph and his team of eight reindeer leaped into the air and magically began to fly. Their journey had begun. It was officially Christmas Eve!
Lucky was buckled in next to Santa and the two kept warm by singing Christmas carols as they quickly made their way to North America.
A few minutes later, Santa looked down and saw the farm where Jennifer had said she lived. Lucky was excited to learn that Jennifer's house would be their first stop of the night!
Rudolph set the sleigh down gently on her roof top.
"Here you go, Lucky," Santa said. "I'll let you take care of this house."
Lucky grabbed Jennifer's bag full of clothes and started toward the chimney. He swallowed hard and felt just a little nervous. He had never been given quite so much responsibility.
Lucky noticed there was a light on in the house. He was hoping to find Jennifer awake when he slid down the chimney.
Lucky landed with a soft thud at the bottom of Jennifer's chimney. He brushed the ashes and soot from his suit and looked all around the darkened room.
There, in one corner of the room, was a chair. Beside it was a small lamp with a dimly lit light bulb. And sitting there, next to the chair and underneath the lamp, was Jennifer.
Tightly clutching a raggedy, old teddy bear in one hand and a blanket in the other, Jennifer had fallen asleep on the floor, waiting for Santa Claus.
Lucky tip-toed over to where Jennifer was sleeping.
"Jennifer?" Lucky said softly, hoping to gently wake, but not startle, the little girl.
Jennifer slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the elf. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched a little, looking at Lucky with sudden wonder.
"Hi!" Jennifer said. "You must be one of Santa's elves."
"Yes, I am. My name is Lucky and I have a few gifts for you."
Lucky then reached down and pulled out a brand new pair of dark blue shoes that looked to Jennifer like they would fit her mom perfectly. In his right hand, Lucky held a work hat and a pair of work gloves that Jennifer just knew were for her dad.
"Wow!" Jennifer said. "Thank you, Lucky."
Lucky next reached in his bag and pulled out a pretty red and green dress with lots of ribbons and bows.
"Is this for me?" Jennifer asked.
"Yes, it is."
"Thank you so much, Lucky. It's what I've been dreaming of. And please tell Santa Claus thank you, too. I felt a little selfish asking for something for myself and I almost started to write you back again and -- "
Just then, Lucky reached down into his bag once more and pulled out a beautiful hair bow. It was pink with speckles of silver and gold, and soft streaks of red and green. It would make Jennifer's blonde hair look extra pretty on this Christmas Day.
A few tears came into Jennifer's eyes as she stared at the simple beauty of the new hair bow.
"I ... I ... I thought you might need a little something to go along with your new dress, Jennifer," Lucky said. "You didn't ask for many things, yet you need so much. And you deserve to be happy. Next year, maybe I can bring you a bag full of bright, shiny toys and dolls and games."
"Next year," Jennifer said as she sniffled gently, "if you just came by and said 'Merry Christmas' to me, that would make me the happiest girl alive. Just like I feel tonight."
"And it would make me the Happiest Elf," Lucky said. "Like I feel tonight, too.
Lucky turned and walked toward the fireplace. Now that he had met Jennifer, he would be able to finish the night with a warm feeling in his heart.
"Merry Christmas, Jennifer."
"And may you have all the happiness in the world, Lucky. Merry Christmas."
“Christmas Family”
By Karla C. Erickson
(A true story)
“Do you know what I like best about Christmas?” five-year-old Sara asked, her big brown eyes shining.
Her mother stopped wrapping gifts. “Santa?”
“I like Santa, but the most fun is wrapping presents for you and Daddy and Mike and Tim.”
Mom was pleased with Sara’s answer. Tim and Mike, her older brothers, had long lists of expensive items they wanted. Sara had no list. She was more excited about the gifts she was wrapping.
“Hi, everyone!” Dad called. “I’m home early so we can go get our tree.”
“Hurray!” Sara shouted. “Then we can decorate it.”
But later, when Mom pulled out the boxes of ornaments, both boys groaned.
“Do we have to do that tonight?” Mike asked. “I have math homework.”
“Me too,” Tim moaned.
“How about helping for just a half hour?” Dad suggested.
While her brothers argued about where decorations should go, Sara quickly and quietly placed red bulbs on the tree.
“Sara,” Tim said, “your bulbs are all at the bottom. That doesn’t look right.”
Sara’s eyes lost their sparkle.
“We need lots of bulbs on the bottom,” Dad said. “Sara’s friends aren’t as tall as you boys, and when they visit us, we want them to see lots of bulbs.” He handed Sara another bulb, and a smile lit up her face.
That night at supper, Mom said quietly, “I think we’ve all lost the spirit of Christmas—that is, all of us except Sara.”
“Oh, Mom,” Mike protested, “we all decorated the tree. And we’ve bought most of our presents.”
“I think Mom’s talking about the real meaning of Christmas,” Dad said. “And she’s right. It’s like we’re getting ready for a big party, but we’ve forgotten whom the party is for.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “We all know it’s to celebrate the Savior’s birth,” he murmured.
“But, Tim,” Dad persisted, “how was your birthday party different from the one we’re planning for Jesus Christ?”
“Well, Jesus isn’t here to get His presents.”
“What presents?” Dad asked.
“How would you have felt if all your friends brought presents for each other but no presents for you?” Mom added.
“That wouldn’t have been much of a party,” Tim admitted.
“Well,” Dad asked, “do you have a gift for the Savior on December 25th?”
“You’re trying to tell us that we need to buy gifts for Jesus?” Mike wondered.
“You don’t buy gifts for Jesus,” Tim interrupted. “You give Him gifts in other ways—like doing something good for someone.”
“Now you have the idea,” Dad said. “Do you think there’s still time to do something good for someone else?”
“It’s over a week before Christmas,” Mom put in. “Sister Altos told me about a family across town whose father is out of work and who have huge medical bills to pay. Shall I find out more about them and see if we can help them this year?”
“Won’t they be embarrassed to have us take them presents?” Mike asked. “What if the kids go to our school?”
“We could do this anonymously,” Dad said. “We could sneak our things for them onto their doorstep on Christmas Eve, and they’d never have to know who did it.”
“How can we know what they need or want?” Tim asked.
“I’ll check with Sister Altos,” Mom said. “She might be able to get sizes and ideas without letting the family know.”
Sara had been listening quietly. Now she shouted, “I hope they have a little girl! She can have some of the presents Santa was going to give me this year.”
“Does this mean that we’re giving away the presents we’d be getting?” Mike yelped.
“How about if everyone gets just one gift from Santa,” Dad said, “and the rest of Santa’s gifts go to our ‘Christmas family’?”
“That’s fair,” both boys agreed.
The following night, Mother had a list from Sister Altos of sizes and ages. There were two boys, a younger sister, and a six-month-old baby.
“Remember,” Dad said, “you can still ask for one gift from Santa. Now, let’s make a list of gifts for these children.”
“I’ll start shopping tomorrow for the things we decide on,” Mom said.
“Can I go too?” Sara pleaded. “And can I help you wrap the presents?”
“Of course.” Mom looked at Tim and Mike. “It’d be fun if you’d wrap presents too. I think you’ll find it rather exciting.”
The days rushed by as everyone bought and wrapped gifts for their Christmas family. Finally Christmas Eve arrived, snowing and cold. Sara hopped up and down with excitement. Even the boys were eager to deliver the gifts.
Father drew them all around him. “I think that this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” he said, his voice choking with emotion. “I’m so proud of you children for giving your presents away to someone you don’t even know.”
“I just hope Santa remembers my roller blades,” Tim joked.
Everyone laughed. Dad pulled out a red envelope. “Mom, will you write a message to our Christmas family?” he asked. “We could put some money inside to help with the medical bills—what do you think?”
“I’ve saved about six dollars,” Mike volunteered. “They can have that.”
“I have about five,” Tim chimed in. He rushed to get his savings.
Sara hurried to get her piggy bank. “I have all this money!” she squealed, opening it to let a cascade of pennies, dimes, and nickels clatter to the table. “Can we wrap it in a box for the children?”
Soon every cent of her money was in a box with “Kids’ Money” written on a tag next to the bow.
Mom disappeared for a few moments. “I’ve been saving this for new curtains, but we can wait for those.” She slipped two fifty-dollar bills into the red envelope.
Dad took out his wallet. “I stopped by the bank today, thinking that they could use this.” He put a hundred-dollar bill into the envelope.
Mother placed a card with a note inside the envelope last, then sealed it.
Sister Altos had written down the address. The car resounded with Christmas songs until the correct street sign was spotted and everyone searched for the house number of their Christmas family.
“There it is!” Tim whooped. “They’re home!”
Dad drove past the house so that their car would be out of sight. “OK,” he said, “I’ll open the trunk, and we’ll load up with gifts. Be really quiet so that they don’t hear us. When all the presents are on the porch, we’ll all get back in the car except Mike. Mike, you wait until I’ve started the engine, then ring the doorbell and run.”
No one made a sound as they piled the gifts high on the front porch. Mom held up the red envelope. “I sure hope they see this,” she whispered, tucking it into the top present.
Everyone except Mike rushed to the car, Dad started the engine, and Mike rang the doorbell and raced to the car. As he jumped inside, the front door of the house opened and a little girl shouted, “Daddy! Daddy! Santa has come!”
All the way home the family chattered excitedly about how their Christmas family must be opening their gifts and how surprised they must be.
“I just hope they see the red envelope,” Mom worried aloud again.
When the family gathered for prayers that night, it was Sara’s turn. She blessed everyone in the family and their friends, adding, “Please bless our Christmas family that they’ll like our presents for them. Bless them to have a Merry Christmas.”
Early Christmas morning, the family gathered around their tree. “I got my roller blades,” Tim shouted.
Mike held up a snowboard. “Wow! This is the greatest!”
Sara discovered a doll with a white wicker bed. “Look what Santa brought me!”
They gathered into a circle and exchanged the gifts they had for each other. Mom kept wiping her eyes. Never before had she seen her children so happy.
“I hope our Christmas family is having lots of fun,” Sara said as she tucked her doll into the white bed.
Bright and early Sunday morning, the family hurried off to church. They still radiated with the glow of Christmas.
The last speaker, an elderly gentleman from another stake, was introduced.
“May I share a short Christmas story with you?” he began. “It’s a true one. In fact, it involves someone I know in my ward across town. I am the home teacher of a young family who has suffered much these last few months. The father lost his job, and their baby has been terribly ill. Although the bishop worked with the family and ward members helped, too, it still wasn’t enough. The parents used all their savings just to keep their baby alive. I had gone to their home this past week with baked goods from my wife, hoping to help them through their holidays.
“As I talked with the father, he told me how they had gathered as a family to discuss a problem. It was tithing settlement last Sunday. They had to decide whether to pay tithing or to use their tithing money for groceries. That good father said that he told his children that they must first obey Heavenly Father. They decided to pay their tithing.
“How I worried about them! On Christmas morning, I hurried to their home. I was amazed at what I found! The children were playing with toys, and I could smell food cooking in the kitchen!
“As I entered, the children excitedly told me about their Christmas Eve. Santa had come early; he had left many presents.
“The mother then explained how they had gathered the papers and boxes after opening all their gifts on Christmas Eve. She had thrown most of the papers into the fireplace. As she crawled into bed, she worried about not having enough money to buy groceries. But she fell asleep knowing they had been given enough food for Christmas Day.
“Early the next morning, she noticed a red envelope on the floor.
“With tears in her eyes, she told me that when she opened it, there was money inside—and a note, which read: ‘Merry Christmas! You don’t know us. We don’t know you. We want you to have these gifts so you can celebrate with us the birth of our Savior.’ ”
The elderly man was so full of emotion that he could hardly finish his talk. “I guess we’ll never know who delivered those gifts on Christmas Eve, but they must be very special people who know what Christmas is all about.”
Tears trickled down Mom’s cheeks. Father clasped her shoulder tightly. Tim, Mike, and Sara scooted closer to them.
“I hope we can find another Christmas family next year,” Mike whispered.
Tim and Sara nodded vigorously.
