Still Time to Bless and Be Blessed

I cried when she told me the story. I could almost see him as he read the note to the class--his too short jeans crowning his worn out shoes, his faded t-shirt slung on thin shoulders, and his radiant face lighting the room. I could almost feel the warmth of the children as they pressed in close to share in his Christmas joy. I could almost hear the excitement in his voice as he cleared his throat to read aloud:

You have been blessed by our own angel network in celebration of the twelve days of Christmas. Santa’s elves will be by your house at dinnertime with KFC. Each day following, up until Christmas, you will receive a note in your mailbox telling your family what the gift of the day will be.

I imagined those little hands reaching into the bucket in search of the crispiest, most golden piece of chicken he could find. I imagined the family from the north end of town anxiously waiting for the next note to arrive, and I imagined the warmth they felt in their hearts knowing that somebody cared.

I wondered who this person or people might be who were willing to give of themselves this Christmas—to take what could have been theirs in excess to give to a family who has never lived in excess for even a day. I wondered what was next on his list, what gift would appear in his mailbox, and I wondered why I hadn’t found time to open my heart like that to someone this Christmas.

As I see the difference someone made in the name of Santa’s elves, I see that someone cherished Christmas more than I did, and I’m guilty. I can’t help wonder what kind of difference I could have made in the name of our Lord, if only I too had listened to the real spirit of Christmas. The good thing is, there’s still time to bless and be blessed, and I’m not going to miss this chance.

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."
~ Calvin Coolidge ~

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” ~ James 1:27

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