A Call and A Gift

... A call was recieved early evening - and the recipiant was told of the plight of the other. No money, no food, no gas, bills not paid - a miserable situation. The other did not ask for help, nor sympathy, but for prayers. He talked joyfully of his children's sacrifices and his thankfulness for what he DID have. He spoke of God's providence and His faithfulness...
The phone call ended and the recipiant, with his mind already made up, had decided to do something about this miserable plight. He went to the store and bought all that was necessary for the family. Food up the wazoo, filling the entirety of the back seats in the car. The recipiant and myself drove to the other's house, intending it to be a surprise. We knocked on the door and asked the other to help him carry in a few things. The other and his family were astonished - some crying - as the food was carried in...
I anxiously walked into their kitchen, half expecting food to be hidden in the far corners of the cuboards; but there was none. I examined the fridge and freezer, again I found nothing...
The kids pulled me over to their living room and with amused laughter, showed me their tree. It was not taller than four inches high; and it was metal. If I had just walked into the room, I probably wouldnt have had noticed it. The other, their father, joined in with laughter, stating that it was good the tree was so small, because that just meant smaller gifts. There was an awkward silence for but a moment, but the "joke" weighed heavily on my heart, so much so that I was not able to shake it off. We didn't stay much longer that evening, but we didn't need to. We had been able to make that family's week, and we had put food on their table.

That is what a lot of Christmas should be about. Not about the gifts we can recieve, but the gifts we are able to give.