One year at Christmas time our family became aware of an older couple who were very poor. He was ill and somewhat disabled, so she would work at odd jobs to try to earn a little money here and there, but they didn't have enough.
Our children were in grade school, and we didn't have much extra, but I was moved that we needed to do something to bring the joy of Christmas to this couple.
So I went to the nursery and bought a small Christmas tree (about three feet tall), Then I suggested to our children that we should look through our Christmas decorations and choose some light strings and ornaments to put on the tree. Having done that, we set out to go visit this couple.
When we arrived at their door, they were totally surprised. We set up the tree, and the children decorated it for them. They were delighted just to have children come to see them. My mom gave them a small gift, and they were thrilled because the man needed a watch and now he would be able to get one.
It didn't seem like we had done much, but to this couple it meant really a lot. They had not had a Christmas tree for many years, and their apartment wasn't a cheerful place at all. (It simply was all they could afford). The colored twinkle lights on the tree seemed to transform the whole situation, and the fact that we had come lifted them up when they were really down.
This only took one afternoon of our time, but afterwards we were so glad that we had done it.
"But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he."
Proverbs 14:21 NKJ
© 2005 Arlene Schwartzkopf