I asked the woman behind the counter, “Are you ready for Christmas yet?”
Even though I didn’t know this woman, she confided in me, “Well, I have twin 14-year-old boys and money is really tight this year. I let them know we’re going to have to wait until February to celebrate Christmas.”
While driving home, I thought, “I wish there was something I could do to help.” Then I thought, “What are you talking about?! You can help her.” Money had been tight for me too that year but I still had enough to help her. That’s exactly what I decided to do! So later that day when I picked up my two daughters from their high school, I told them about the woman I had met. I told the girls, “We’re going to give her and her twins a Christmas.”
Off we went to the mall. My daughters were in charge of selecting gifts for the teenaged boys and I chose gifts for their mom. Next, we headed to the grocery store to buy food for their Christmas feast. I told the girls, “Go get the treats and goodies you’d want to eat at Christmas and I’ll get the rest.” I gathered up some non-perishable food items as well as a gift card so the woman could buy the fresh food she would need closer to Christmas.
When it was time to go back to the store to give the woman all of these goodies, I was feeling super nervous! I wondered, “What if she is offended by this?” (But, I know enough about “What if” thinking to not let that stop me!) However, so as not to embarrass her, I decided to leave the mound of Christmas surprises in my car once I arrived back at her workplace—and, okay, there may have been a tad too much stuff to carry in all at once. I entered the store and walked over to her, saying, “I have some things in my car for you. Do you want to come and get them?”
Her co-worker leaned over to her and murmured, “Are you sure you want to go with her?”
The woman replied, “She seems harmless.”
She came out from behind the counter and walked with me to my car. I gave her all of the packages, going over them one by one, explaining what each was. She had tears in her eyes and said, “I don’t know what to say.”
I said, “You don’t have to say anything. When you’re doing better financially, as I know you will, just be generous with someone else.”
She smiled and said, “I will! I’m a giver.” And, then she wrapped me up in a big hug.
What happened next is miraculous . . .
Eight years later, I was invited to speak at a conference. The request for my speaking services was perfect timing because it was the middle of summer—a season in which business is generally slow. That block of work would provide a much needed injection to my quietly ebbing summer cash flow.
Once the engagement was over and done with, I received a cheque for my presentation. As I was signing the cheque for deposit and feeling the sweet relief that that money would bring to my bank balance, it suddenly hit me. The company that had hired me to speak was the same company for which that mom of twins had worked, so many Christmases ago.
As it was wisely written in Proverbs 11:25:
“The generous soul will be made rich and he who waters will also be watered himself.”
When you give, you end up receiving. Of course, giving is not about receiving—I never expected anything in return when my girls and I went on our Christmas quest for that woman and her sons. Yet, somehow, when you bless others, you are blessed in return—even if it’s simply in that warm and happy feeling you get when you bring someone joy.
Experience the blessing of giving this season. You can assist in being someone’s Christmas miracle!