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Verse:“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” —Matthew 25:40, NLT
I was eight years old when my world shattered.
Months before, my dad had been taken from my house.
As “Daddy’s girl,” I was devastated. Snow was falling, Christmas lights twinkled, and festive music was playing, but I felt no Christmas joy. The most important person in my world was missing. Presents will make almost any eight-year-old happy, but money was tight, and there were no gifts under the tree. Knock, knock. My mom opened the door and stepped outside. When she came in a few minutes later, she carried a box of brightly wrapped gifts and had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. The process was repeated three times that day and continued in the following days. I do not remember how many people stopped by, but there must have been at least ten. Each one explained that they wanted to bring us a little Christmas joy. They hoped we knew how many people cared for us. By Christmas morning, there were more presents than I had ever seen or imagined! They spilled out from under the tree and were piled high around it. On Christmas morning, after we ate our apple fritters and drank our hot chocolate, we all sat around the tree and read the Christmas story. I remember the feeling that started growing inside of me—thankfulness! Friends, churches, my school, and even the police department went out of their way to help make Christmas a little brighter for us.
My little eight-year-old heart swelled with joy as I realized how many people loved and cared for us. The Christmas we thought we would have nothing was the Christmas we had the most. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus told His followers, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, NIV). When we do something for one of His children, we are doing it for Him. So maybe Jesus did not have the best first Christmas, but we can give Him the best He has ever had this year by helping a family in need, taking cookies to shut-ins, and making sure that His children feel loved. Are you ready to help Jesus have a wonderful Christmas?
Debbi Duncan