The Gift

A short Christmas story for the holidays :)

"The Gift"

There is a boy who is walking in the snow on Christmas Eve. The wind is biting and cold through his coat. But he keeps trudging on. He has a package that must be delivered tonight. His mother had baked special Christmas cookies that still felt warm in its wrapping. He was heading toward the little house on the hill.

The boy knocked on the door and he was hurried inside. When he saw the family his heart fell. They were bundled up in thin blankets and huddled near a small coal fire. He could see that the stockings each had only a small weight inside and the remains of a meager Christmas dinner sat on the table. He gave them the cookies and the children's eyes shone brightly at the sight of the colored and sugar coated treats.

The parents thanked him and offered him a place by their fire, but instead he said a quick goodbye and headed out the door. His own family would be waiting for him with a hot honey ham ready to eat and the Christmas tree with presents all beautifully wrapped sitting underneath. He didn't like the Christmas he had seen back there in the little home. It seemed too bad that such a good family would go with little that year.

He didn't know them very well. He only knew that they were new to the area and the father had lost his job that year. His mother had sent the cookies as a welcome present as well as a holiday treat. None of his family knew just how bad the situation was for the family on the hill. He could keep quiet and enjoy the bright warm Christmas in his own warm home with its piping hot fire place and warm mugs of chocolate to go around. He could just ignore the family he barely knew. He hurried through the snow, desperate to reach his family before the storm got too much worse. But he couldn't escape the thought. What if that had been his family?

He burst into their kitchen out of breath and told his family in a rush the state of Christmas for the family up on the hill. It was like every member knew exactly what to do. No one had to discuss it or say anything. The ham was neatly wrapped, coal was packed and the presents were stacked and each child held a Christmas burden in a sack.

They came quietly to the house, stacked the present and the ham, then as the family hid the smallest member knocked upon the door before hurrying away to hide. The father's face lit up in surprise, the mothers dissolved into tears. The presents were brought inside, and as the boy's family walked slowly back to their warm home with their empty tree they could hear the songs of praise raise behind them in the little house. And the boys heart was full.

The End

Christmas is so much more then getting, it's about giving. It always has been ever since the first Christmas. My favorite thing to do at Christmas is the "ding-dong gift ditch." Mainly because it's fun to try and not get caught, but also because we're giving a gift to someone and they don't know who its from. That makes it all the more special. (Mathew 6:3) What's your favorite Christmas thing to do? Hoped you like the story, I really just made it up.

Merry Christmas.