A Christmas Blessing...

It was the week before Christmas... 1961. I sat on the steps in the hallway staring at the Christmas tree in the living room. Mama was not one to be particular about her tree. We children always helped decorate it though the ornaments were few. Using the same wrinkled tinsel year after year, excitedly throwing it all over the tree. But when Christmas was over and the tree came down, we took each strand and carefully packed it away.

Though my Daddy had a drinking problem, he always tried to make sure each child had a present under the tree. Somehow, though, I knew this Christmas was going to be different than any other we had known. Daddy was slowly recovering from a heart attack. Mama had taken us to the S & H Green Stamp store that day. Carefully counting her stamps to see what she could buy, she chose a bicycle, perfect for my younger brother. "He's little," she said. "He won't understand if he doesn't get anything for Christmas." And she found a small doll for my baby sister. We hardly had money to buy food. I knew she could not afford gifts for the rest of us. So, I sat on the steps thinking about what a bleak Christmas it was going to be. I was fourteen and trying hard to understand.

A knock on the door arrested my thoughts. We lived in a turn of the century home built in 1910. Little had been done to change its original appearance. When I opened the door, I was greeted by familiar faces, more to me, than to Mama. For two years, since we had moved there, I had walked to a little church about a half mile away. Standing in front of me were people who had told me about Jesus, about how much He loves us and how He cares about every part of our lives. They had boxes of food and gift certificates for each child. We could pick out whatever we wanted at J.C. Penny. I wanted to cry... God really did care. Mama took us shopping the next day. Mama even got money to buy things she needed. I bought new clothes to wear to our Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, I would not care if there was nothing else under the tree for me, I knew God loved me!

Mama never did attend that church, except on special occasions. But those people continued to demonstrate their love to her. When Daddy died eleven years ago, they continued to bring food boxes at Christmas and money for her house taxes. Over the years, her heart softened and at the age of seventy-nine, she gave her life to Jesus. Three years later, I was sitting by her bed when her hand slipped away from mine, as Jesus held the other and walked with her through the gates of heaven. I have watched God soften hearts as He softened Mama's. Not in our time, but His. Our God is faithful! May He bless you this Christmas season beyond your imagination! Each day, as you step outside your door and breathe in the cool winter air, may you know that His love for you is boundless... and His reward certain.