| The Best Christmas of My
Life |
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It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling
like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough
money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did
the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa
wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. But Pa
didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. Soon Pa came back in. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood--the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all fall splitting. What was he doing? You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. "Yeah," I said, "Why?" "I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another load of wood. We loaded the sled high. Then we went to the smoke houase and Pa tood down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. |
When
he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and
a smaller sack in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I
asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey
just had gunny sacks wrapped a round his feet when he was out in the
woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy
too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and Matt. Could we come in for a bit?" Widow had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. "Merry Christmas." She
opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time.
There was a pair for her and one for each of the children--sturdy
shoes, shoes that would
last. I watched her
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carefully. She bit her
lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and
started running down her checks. She looked up at Pa like she
wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her checks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me, and a joy that I'd never known before filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us." I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless. Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what size to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes. Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine. At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow after church. The turkey will be more than the three of us |
can eat,
and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many
meals. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again.
Matt, here hasn't been little for quite a spell." Widow Jensen
nodded and said, "Thank you, Miles. I don't have to say, "May the
Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will." Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your Ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your Ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand." I understood. I understood very well, and I was glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on the Widow's face and the radiant smiles of her children. For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split wood, I remembered. Remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. He had given me the best Christmas of my life. [Matt learned about giving and caring for others, a reminder of the love Jesus had for us when he came into our world. He came to rescue us also. We were cold and bare, needing help. Jesus is that help. He is our Savior. O cme let us adore Him!] |
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ADVENT WORSHIP: Our
Advent service is designed to help us re-focus on what is important at
Christmas-time: Jesus. Our potluck begins at 6:15 and the
service is at 7:15. We hope you can join us!
LADIES TEA: All the ladies and friends of Good Shepherd are invited to a social hour gathering at the Pleasanton Hotel on Dec. 20th at 2:30. It should be a fun group; cost is about $20. Call Chris Lehrman at 456-2931 for details. NINETEEN BAGS OF GROCERIES were delivered to Pastor Neng Lor and his family and to the Livermore food bank from our thanksgiving offering. Thanks everyone. In addition, $217 each were sent to World Missions and to the Apache Student Fund. FRIDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP DINNER will be held on Dec. 16th. The location (and possible Delta cruise) will be determined. PHONE RECYCLING: We sent in 21 phones which would otherwise have clogged our landfills. Church should also be receiving a check for the recycling value of the phones. Thanks everyone. We will be sending them in every time we reach 20 phones. THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SONG: Supposedly, this song was written by Catholics in England when Queen Elizabeth I was persecuting them. "My true Love sent to me" is not a husband, but God. I am enclosing the meanings |
because I think it is also a
good reminder to us of God's presence at all times in our lives. 1st Day of Christmas A Partridge in a Pear Tree is Jesus who was sometimes represented as a partridge who led predators away from her helpless chicks. 2nd Day Two Turtle Doves are the Old and New Testaments. 3rd Day Three French Hens are from 1 Cor. 13, Faith, Hope, and Love. 4th Day Four Calling Birds are the Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 5th Day Five Golden Rings are the first five books of the Bible. 6th Day Six Geese-a-laying are the six days of Creation (God rested on the 7th). 7th Day Seven Swans-a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. 8th Day Eight maids-a-milking are the Beatitudes in the sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1-12). 9th Day Nine ladies dancing equals the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) 10th Day Ten Lords-a-leaping is for the 10 Commandments. 11th Day Eleven Pipers piping are the 11 faithful disciples (Judas is excluded). 12th Day Twelve drummers drumming is the number of the tribes of Israel and the number of articles in the Apostles Creed. And now you know, the rest of the story.... ANGEL TREE is a list of children's first names whose parent(s) are in prison. We provide them with two gifts and Sunday School material. We know a couple of children who would have received no present last year if not for the angel tree. Thanks for considering helping out. |
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HOLIDAY SERVICES:
CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICES 6:00 AND 7:30 P.M. CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES 8:00 and 10:30 A.M. BIBLE
WALK is an amazing journey into the Bible for all ages.
This brand-new four week series is for adults and kids. It will
help us see how God's loving Hand gave us His Word, the Bible.
With videos, maps and transparencies we'll see how God told us about
Jesus who came to rescue us from sin and take us to Heaven by faith in
Him. Join us starting in Janauary at 9:15 on Sunday mornings!
Humor A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. Johnny replied: "Well, if Jesus were like me, Mary & Joseph probably couldn't get a baby sitter." |
A little girl was watching her
parents dress for a party. When she saw
her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that
suit." "And why not darling?" "You know that it always
gives you a
headache the next morning."
[Even though that story is funny, getting drunk is not. Drinking alcohol is not a sin, but getting drunk is. Please know your limits and do not drive if you've been drinking11] CHILDREN'S SERVICE On December 18th in the 10:30 service, our children will sing and tell about the Christmas story. We hope you can join us. NEW YEAR'S EVE SERVICE
Celebrate the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 with the Lord's
name on your lips and heart! Our worship service begins at 7:15
preceded by a potluck dinner at 6:15. Holy Communion will be
served.
NARNIA
is the new movie based on the C.S. Lewis series of books. It is
an allegorical look at Christianity, based on the first book,
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". We're inviting everyone
to join us far a matinee showing on December 18th after church.
After the movie, all are invited back to church to discuss the movie
and clear up any points of confusion. See Michael Smith for
details.
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