Holiday Greetings in Christ! I pray that your Christmas season is off to a good start. You may have heard it said that Christmas is a time of miracles. I wanted to share this sweet little story related by Lidy Baars….I hope you enjoy it.
“If it wouldn’t have happened to me, I am not sure I’d believe it either. That is the thing, this really happened, it’s not something I dreamed up as a pretty story. Quite a few years ago, I went on the first ever “Clothe the Children” Charity Event with my husband’s service club. The idea was that 100 children from families in need would be matched up to 100 volunteers, and taken on a $100 shopping spree to a local store. The store would open early only for all of us, and the prices would be almost “at cost” so that the children could choose what they needed for the winter months. I was matched up to a young girl of about 8, Anna, and the morning of our shopping adventure, she was clutching a list her mom had made for her. Items she desperately needed, such as new socks, a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes were on the list.
Once the store doors were flung open wide by the store’s employees (who volunteered this time at work) Anna and I joined the 100 children and their “helpers” and rushed into the warm store. I had Anna’s list, and was reading “jeans” and wanted to go straight there, but my little one set her eyes on a sparkling, red, fancy holiday dress. You know that kind? With tulle, and lace and a poofy skirt. Oh! I could see it in her eyes, THIS is what she really wanted to buy. Not underwear, socks, a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. I tried to steer her away, saying her mama had made a list, and that’s what we needed to look for, as there was only so much time before we had to leave. o she trailed behind me, casting wistful eyes on that red, totally-impractical, party holiday dress.
We choose all the things on her shopping list quickly and were the first ones to arrive at the dressing rooms. There, a salesgirl let us in, but said she had to turn on all the lights first, since it was still dark in there. She turned on the lights in the dressing room one by one, and the three of us went to the back and chose a little dressing room. The salesgirl opened the door to the little cubicle, and can you guess?? I couldn’t believe it, but that sparkling, red holiday dress was hanging in that room! Honest. The salesgirl was so perplexed, as all the rooms had been cleared the night before. And I? I got tears in my eyes. I know, silly me. But really? THE DRESS! By then, I had already decided to buy Anna that dress, no matter what, and have it brought to her school later.
We weren’t allowed to spend more than the allotment, since that wouldn’t be fair for the other children. I told my little Anna that Christmas is a time for miracles and that God knew how much she wanted that dress, and He loved her so very much. He wanted to give her the desires of her heart. And that this was a little Christmas miracle. Oh, I know, it’s not the huge kind of miracle of saving lives and making a path in the ocean waters. But still, it was a miracle for little Anna. And it was a miracle for me. It showed me once again that God so loves each one of us, and He cares about the desires of our heart. Of course, as you can guess, the dress fit her! When we reached the cashier, our purchases, everything on Anna’s list, AND the dress, came to a total of 99.98! I got so much more out of volunteering to help a little girl shop for clothes. So. Much. More. I cried all the way home that morning. Not because Anna was able to get her dress. But because our Father in Heaven loves us so much. And He’s always there.”
I pray you experience a miracle this Christmas. Peace always! -Pastor Brian
First United Methodist Church, Hudson, MI 