The man read the church bulletin announcing that the congregation was aware that one of their families was experiencing hardship and could afford neither Christmas gifts for their children nor food for a traditional holiday celebration. Members of the congregation were encouraged to donate food, gifts and whatever else they could. The bulletin asked that members of the congregation bring all donations to the church by six that afternoon. Everyone would then form a caravan and deliver the goods to the family. Nudging his wife, who sat in the pew beside him, he pointed to the pamphlet and whispered, “We must help.”
Scanning the announcement, she nodded in agreement and returned a whispered, “Yes.”
On the way home, the couple told their children what the bulletin had announced and discussed what their family could do to help. It was agreed: The family would spend the afternoon canvassing the neighborhood, going door-to-door asking for the needy family. Warmed by the idea of helping someone in need- especially during a season of “giving”-the family enjoyed themselves, and found that most everyone was in the Christmas spirit. “It’s just as well that someone enjoy this,” said one woman as she handed the younger boy a twenty-five pound turkey from her refrigerator. “I was going to cook it for Christmas, but now that my son and his daughter have invited me to their home, someone else might just as well have a delicious meal too.”
Just before six, the couple and their two sons hurried to the church to deliver everything that had gathered. Once there, they were both surprised and pleased to find so many other families participating in what the father had called “the heart of Christmas.” Headed by the pastor and his family, cars and minivans loaded with an assortment of items- food, clothing, even a Christmas tree- lined up to begin the trip to the family who needed the congregation’s outpouring of love, donations and sense of community. Like the others, this family took their place in the procession and set out to deliver “Christmas.”
Several minutes into the trip, they were surprised to find that themselves on their street. Within minutes, the cars in front of them drove into the driveway of THEIR HOME!
They were the family in need and the recipients of the congregation’s outpouring of love and support- and its Christmas heart.
Betty B. Young
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