I will never forget it. It was one of those moments where kids get confused why adults cry at happy things. I heard a commotion at the front door. Mom sounded like a child as she squealing with excitement. I sheepishly peeked around the corner to see what was going on. I saw a couple ladies standing at the front door dressed in bulky winter coats and Santa hats. I didn’t recognize the women. In my mom’s familiar loving voice, I heard “thank you” over and over. The couple of strangers then hopped off our front step and went on their way. Mom ambitiously dragged a ginormous decorated box into our living room.
“Who was that?” I inquired. With a bit of a shocked look on moms face she replied, “I don’t know, they just came to drop off some gifts and food for Christmas dinner”. I was oddly curious why complete strangers would do that for us. “They must be some very special people” I thought, “maybe even angels.”
Mom was on her own with us three kids. I was the middle one. We always had what we needed, but not much extra. With tears dripping down moms cheeks, she popped open the box and peaked inside. We kids were tiny and that box was so big we could crawl right inside of it. We took turns pulling out wrapped packages and an assortment of other goodies, screeching with excitement at every find. We stacked the presents under the tree, and the food on the kitchen table. Mom took careful inventory of the precious gifts as we enthusiastically planned the upcoming festivities.
Christmas quickly came. I was nine years old then, but I remember that time as if it were yesterday. I recall unwrapping a giant craft set that I cherished as if it were as precious as the gifts baby Jesus received.
Our faces were plastered with grins, and moms' fridge soon became plastered with art work. It wasn’t the wrapped presents though that was the greatest gift that was left behind. The lesson on how to love and care for people we didn’t even know, lingered in our home long after the presents were unwrapped and the Christmas dinner was digested.
Melanie Blogs at http://www.hungryforpurpose.com/blog
