The last thing on my Christmas list was a Spiderman tricycle and a pair of sneakers.
Although I didn't find the exact trike, I did find a pair of Spiderman shoes that lit up and a small red trike suitable for a two-year-old boy. I didn't even know him, but I knew he had enough drama in his life. He belonged to one of the clients at a ministry I help. We usually don't buy trikes and big-ticket items, but this purchase was in conjunction with one of our partner ministries.
Now for the Christmas spirit part of the story.
As I shopped, I met a couple and their son whom I knew. They asked why I was still shopping, so I explained. The lady opened her pocketbook and said, "We're going to buy that trike for him."
After trying to convince her she didn't have to do that, she agreed with me and said they would do it anyway. Her husband told me I wasn't going to win the argument, so I might as well take the money.
Stuff like that is what makes Christmas for me. It wasn't so much the trike or the shoes, but just knowing somewhere on Christmas morning, a wide-eyed two-year-old would be excited and would ride around the room on his trike with his Spidey shoes flashing. For a little while, all would be right with the world.
Thinking of the joy he would have for a little space of time was a priceless treasure. So was knowing his momma would be deeply touched because someone loved her child that much. I was sure she would eventually realize God loved her and hadn't forgotten where she was or what she needed.
Little moments like this help us realize we’ve made a difference and given someone a memory for a lifetime—a memory that emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas.
How can you make someone’s Christmas special?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Andy is a published multi-award-winning author with devotions appearing on the Christian Devotions website as well as the CBN website. He is a contributing author in the Starr Ayers/Stephanie Pavlantos book Room at the Table. Currently, he is working on his first novel and is assembling a book of inspirational Scripture-based short stories along with moral, personal, family, and comical stories. Andy is the founder and director of H.O.P.E. Ministries in Candler, NC. While operating primarily as a food ministry, they also provide backpacks, Easter baskets, and Christmas shoebox gifts to crisis pregnancy centers, domestic violence shelters, schools, government agencies, and other ministries. They also provide disaster relief and aid for unwed mothers and their children.