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| Photo Credit: zoetheband.blogspot.com |
Christmas – a time of joy and love. It was great of so many of you to share your favorite Christmas memories with me. Some of the stories made me smile. Some brought tears to my eyes. Some echoed my own favorite memories of special Christmases with family. And some spoke of the reason for the season – the gift of love that is Jesus Christ.
The two stories I’ve saved for this Christmas Day speak of the best gifts – those of Christian love and family love. First A.C.’s story. “The Christmas that stands out to me most is very personal but I wanted to share it because of what it meant to me for others to be so giving and that’s why to this day I give every chance I can to help others. You never know when you may need that Special Angel or Angels.
My Grandmother was very ill and I was going though a divorce and on top of that I was laid off work. I knew Christmas was around the corner and it was going to be a hard one. I didn’t let anyone know what I was going thru (it was a pride thing) but I kept my head high and struggled each day.
I had a very good friend who invited me to her church. A very small community church where everyone knew each other. I kept finding every excuse I could, as to why I should not go and that worked for awhile. I said my prayers at night but I still had my pride and I didn’t want to ask anyone for help. After awhile I finally gave in and decided I would go to the church with my sweet friend to the next Sunday night service. The devil tried every way possible for me not to make it but I had made a promise to a special friend who was dealing with the early stages of ALS.
That Sunday night rolled around and I went, dragging my feet. Little did I know God had a reason for putting me there at that time and I cannot tell you how much my life was blessed. My friend had talked with the Pastor and explained my hardship and the church adopted my family for Christmas. I was so touched with all the wonderful things that the people of her church were doing for me. We had a wonderful Christmas, I had a new extended Church family and a better relationship with God. I don’t know what I would have done without their help.
I think about what my friend did for me and I try to give as much as I can and as often as I can. God called my friend home shortly after that but I will remember her forever, especially at Christmas time and dedicate what I can do in Honor of her. So that’s my Blessing at Christmas time, to help others during their hard times.
I think about what my friend did for me and I try to give as much as I can and as often as I can. God called my friend home shortly after that but I will remember her forever, especially at Christmas time and dedicate what I can do in Honor of her. So that’s my Blessing at Christmas time, to help others during their hard times.
Thanks, A.C., for sharing your story and for giving forward.
The next story Danielle shares is one a lot of servicemen and women’s families are experiencing this Christmas with the soldiers coming home from Iraq. Here’s Danielle’s story.
” My favorite memory of Christmas was when I was in middle school. My aunt was deployed in the army in Germany, so we weren’t able to see her for 2 years. On Christmas Eve there was a knock at our door and there she was! It was the happiest time ever. She was home for good. I will never forget that feeling I had when I answered the door after not seeing her for so long. My sisters and I never left her side. We sang Christmas carols. She shared stories about her living in Germany and pictures. She even brought us gifts and showed us all the letters she kept from us girls.”
” My favorite memory of Christmas was when I was in middle school. My aunt was deployed in the army in Germany, so we weren’t able to see her for 2 years. On Christmas Eve there was a knock at our door and there she was! It was the happiest time ever. She was home for good. I will never forget that feeling I had when I answered the door after not seeing her for so long. My sisters and I never left her side. We sang Christmas carols. She shared stories about her living in Germany and pictures. She even brought us gifts and showed us all the letters she kept from us girls.”
Christmas is a time for giving and a time for families. I hope the stories I’ve shared have blessed you as much as they have me. Merry Christmas! “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4 (NIV)