my favorite part of Christmas

My favorite part of Christmas was NOT this... or this...

No, not this either....

Aaron getting suckers in his stocking was cute, but still not my favorite part

The magic and smiles of Christmas morning was nice, and I loved it, but it wasn't my favorite part.

My favorite part happened almost by accident. Kelly came home from church the Sunday before Christmas and told me that someone had gotten up in Priesthood meeting and told about a family that needed some help. The family lived in a trailer park and the dad had lost his job. The mom was working two jobs to keep things afloat but they were barely getting by. Even though things were tough for this family, they were opening their home to the man's sister and her kids who had been in a women's shelter back East. This sister was traveling across the country on the bus with her kids and would be arriving on Christmas day. The man in church (who is unemployed himself) asked for donations of used clothes and gently used toys for the sister and her children so they could begin a new life here in Utah. I had just gone through my kids clothes and we had a few bags that I was going to take to D.I. so I called the family who was putting this all together and the sizes were perfect for the kids that were coming. So no big deal, stuff I was getting rid of anyway. I also gathered up a few toys and added some things from the pantry. My mom gives the kids a little bit of money every year with instructions that it is to be used to help other people. Then she wants a letter back telling how they decided to spend it and how they felt. We decided to give this money to the family as well. We dropped off the stuff a couple of days before Christmas. I want to emphasize that this really wasn't a big deal to me, just trying to help a little bit where I could.

This is where my part of the story ends and the good part begins. 15 other families donated food, clothing, household items, cash and gift cards. There was enough to fill up a living room. The family that put this together took everything over on Christmas eve. There was enough for the family that lived in the trailer and for the Sister and her family.

This is from the thank you letter:

The family you blessed was overwhelmed. The single mother with three children, traveled all night Christmas Eve (on the bus) and got here to Utah about 11:00 am Christmas Day. When they arrived at the little trailer of her brother and his wife, the living room was filled with food, clothes, toys, pillows, towels, shampoo, soap, and every other conceivable thing they could use. They were so touched. We were also able to give the same boxes of these items to the brother and his wife for their family as well...and envelopes to both families with gift cards and money to help them meet up coming needs. How can we ever thank you for opening your hearts and wallets to bless these folks who are not members of our faith and people you have never met? Surely you are true Christians! Surely you are doing the things that He would do if He were here. You made our Christmas so special by allowing us to be part of the magic of giving.

This letter was so beautifully written that I wanted to share it. There is true magic in giving. And there is more to the story. There were some items that were donated that were not appropriate for the family- wrong size clothes, duplicate items, toys that were not age appropriate. The family that put this together felt these items were sacred and wanted to see them used with the intent that they were given. They asked around and were given an address of a family that need help. When they arrived at the house, they were surprised to find that it was a big beautiful home. It was well lit and well maintained. They asked a neighbor if the family needed help and were told "No everything was fine there." It was getting late on Christmas Eve, and the younger children were getting hungry so the dad took them home. The mom and oldest daughter were left to try and decide what to do with the items that they had. They decided to drive to Walmart and see if they could see anyone who looked like they could use some help, but Walmart was closed on Christmas Eve. They said a prayer for guidance and started driving around. Suddenly, the daughter turned down an unfamiliar street, and not knowing why stopped in front of a house. They saw a man getting grocery bags out of his car and motioned him over to their car. The asked him if he knew anyone in the area who was in needed help and in surprise the man answered "that is why I am here at this house. They are in great need" The mother of the family who lived there had abandoned her husband and children. Her leaving had devastated the husband and he was having a hard time coping with all the little aspects of running a home. The holiday was to big for him to deal with so there would be no Christmas in their house that year. The man at the window told them the ages and sizes of the children and in a strange coincidence every item they had left in the car was the right size for the children in the house. The toys were perfect too. As they took the boxes into the house the surprised man looked at the Mom and said something like " I don't know who you are. How did you know what we needed." The woman said "We don't know you, but God does. He knows what your are going through and what you need, and he is taking care of you". Then she and her daughter left.

Being involved in a very small way in this miracle was the best part of my Christmas.