Christmas Story..
Christmas Is Coming!
Christmas is an amazing time of the year. As we remember Christ birth.. Why He came.. What he Did.. It has an effect on us. Christmas seems to bring out the best in people. People have different attitudes.. They are more considerate.. more caring.. more concerned. There really is a Christmas spirit.
I remember a story about a lady waiting in a store to pay for her purchases. There in the line were two young children waiting to pay for their purchase. The boy was about eight and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat that looked two sizes too small and a pair of tattered tennis shoes two sizes too big. His jeans came to the top of his socks. In his hands were a few crumpled dollar bills.
The girl's clothing wasn't any better than her brother's. Her hair was a blonde mass of curls. Her beautiful blue eyes were fixed on her older brother. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers clutched to her chest. As the Christmas music played through the store, the little girl swayed to the tune of "Jingle Bells."
When they finally reached the checkout register, the little girl raised up on her tip-toes and very carefully placed the shoes on the counter. You would have thought they were real gold and fragile enough to break at the slightest jar. Those shoes were her treasure. The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said. The boy laid his crumpled dollars on the stand and began to search his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12.
"I guess we will have to put them back," he bravely said. "We'll come back some other time, maybe tomorrow." The little girl moved her head back and forth, the woman could see the tears filling her eyes. A soft sob broke from the little girl lips. "But.. but.. Jesus would have loved these shoes," she cried. "We'll go home and I'll collect some more cans and we'll get some more money. Don't cry. Please, don't cry. We'll come back tomorrow," he said.
The woman's heart was touched. She handed some money to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time and, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around her legs and the little girl said in a small voice, "Thank you lady."
The woman had to know. She looked down into the little round face and asked, "What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?"
The boy answered, "Our Mommy is real sick and she is going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas. She is going to be with Jesus." The girl spoke up, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in Heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't Mommy be beautiful walking on those streets in these shoes?"
The woman's eyes flooded with tears, as she looked into her wide eyed, tear-streaked face. "Yes," she answered, "I am sure she will." Silently she thanked God for using these children who reminded her of the true spirit of giving.
Let's talk about Christmas.. Christmas isn't about presents. Christmas is about reaching out and touching lives with love. It is a hand made gift pressed into the Father's hands. It is a card carefully constructed by a six year old hand that says, "Merry Christmas, Mom." It is a family sitting down and listening to Dad read the Christmas Story from the Bible. You see.. Christmas is the ultimate expression of love and caring. Christmas is John 3:16, "For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten son.."
Lord.. Help us to remember the real meaning of Christmas..
Christmas is an amazing time of the year. As we remember Christ birth.. Why He came.. What he Did.. It has an effect on us. Christmas seems to bring out the best in people. People have different attitudes.. They are more considerate.. more caring.. more concerned. There really is a Christmas spirit.
I remember a story about a lady waiting in a store to pay for her purchases. There in the line were two young children waiting to pay for their purchase. The boy was about eight and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat that looked two sizes too small and a pair of tattered tennis shoes two sizes too big. His jeans came to the top of his socks. In his hands were a few crumpled dollar bills.
The girl's clothing wasn't any better than her brother's. Her hair was a blonde mass of curls. Her beautiful blue eyes were fixed on her older brother. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers clutched to her chest. As the Christmas music played through the store, the little girl swayed to the tune of "Jingle Bells."
When they finally reached the checkout register, the little girl raised up on her tip-toes and very carefully placed the shoes on the counter. You would have thought they were real gold and fragile enough to break at the slightest jar. Those shoes were her treasure. The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said. The boy laid his crumpled dollars on the stand and began to search his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12.
"I guess we will have to put them back," he bravely said. "We'll come back some other time, maybe tomorrow." The little girl moved her head back and forth, the woman could see the tears filling her eyes. A soft sob broke from the little girl lips. "But.. but.. Jesus would have loved these shoes," she cried. "We'll go home and I'll collect some more cans and we'll get some more money. Don't cry. Please, don't cry. We'll come back tomorrow," he said.
The woman's heart was touched. She handed some money to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time and, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around her legs and the little girl said in a small voice, "Thank you lady."
The woman had to know. She looked down into the little round face and asked, "What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?"
The boy answered, "Our Mommy is real sick and she is going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas. She is going to be with Jesus." The girl spoke up, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in Heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't Mommy be beautiful walking on those streets in these shoes?"
The woman's eyes flooded with tears, as she looked into her wide eyed, tear-streaked face. "Yes," she answered, "I am sure she will." Silently she thanked God for using these children who reminded her of the true spirit of giving.
Let's talk about Christmas.. Christmas isn't about presents. Christmas is about reaching out and touching lives with love. It is a hand made gift pressed into the Father's hands. It is a card carefully constructed by a six year old hand that says, "Merry Christmas, Mom." It is a family sitting down and listening to Dad read the Christmas Story from the Bible. You see.. Christmas is the ultimate expression of love and caring. Christmas is John 3:16, "For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten son.."
Lord.. Help us to remember the real meaning of Christmas..
posted by Pastor Ed at 1:03 PM
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