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THE DISCIPLE

It was Christmas Eve and my wife had just got home from the hospital after giving birth to our second son. It had been a tough year.  And so it was that as I sat on the hard kitchen chair that night,  I can still remember the dim lite apartment that we were living in,  and the silhouette of my wife lying on the couch with our new son lying closely beside her. Our one year old was in the other room sleeping and although they were all well and I felt richly blessed, a certain amount of despair set in. Here it was Christmas Eve, yet you would never know it. We had no tree, no lights, no decorations and no presents. We really didn’t even have money for a Christmas meal. Sometimes, as a provider, you just feel so defeated. And for me, that was certainly one of those times.

Suddenly I heard a knock at the door. Who could that be, I thought. I walked to the door and opened it. There was no one there, but something had been left at my doorstep. In fact, a lot had been left. There was a small tree, already decorated. There was a ham, and other food items. A box held a number of presents nicely wrapped. I felt the tears start to flow. I don’t know if I was crying because we were so poor, or that fact that I was embarrassed that apparently someone else also knew we were poor.

I stood on my doorstep a moment and looked out into the night searching for someone; someone who I never saw or found. I slowly put the gifts, tree, trimmings and food into the apartment. I turned to close the door and just as I did so, I stopped and, with hand raised high I shouted an emotional, “Thank you!” out into the darkness. I don’t know if anyone heard me. It doesn’t really matter I suppose. Because I really was thanking my Heavenly Father for an ‘unknown’ benefactor who he had inspired to help me in my time of need. And though my thanks was directed into the emptiness of the night, he who gives us all had heard.

You never forget kindness like that! It’s been 30 plus years ago since that night. I’ve never forgotten the feelings of gratitude I felt that evening.  So, I send a shout out of, “Thank you!”, once again to the special saint or saints who so thoughtfully helped my family out that night. And thanks be to the Lord for inspiring such people to do noble deeds for those in need. May all of us take the time this Christmas season to bless the lives of those who have less. May we be part of the reason that this Christmas Eve Night air will be filled with emotional cries of, “Thank you!’, coming from the mouths of those who need a helping hand.  Even those richly blessed need help from time to time. I know I did those many years ago, and I am much the richer for having been helped that Christmas Eve by ministering angels of the earthly kind.