It was Christmas Eve.  
Homes were all decked with tinsel and lights. The cheerful sounds of music 
filled the air.   Mothers and fathers were tucking excited, young children
 into their beds.  Their little minds were bursting with thoughts 
of what they would find under their trees the next morning.
Oh, it was such a wonderful time of  year. The spirit of giving and the 
sounds of laughter was in every heart.    How could anyone help but
 be happy on such a glorious occasion?   But on the highway at the edge of 
town, there was little laughter that Christmas Eve.   There were no bright
Christmas lights. In fact, there was no Christmas tree. Most
people would have said, there was nothing at all.  The father was broken
hearted. He had worked so hard  through the winter and fall. He
 had scraped, and planned, and saved. Yet all he could make was
enough money, to barely feed his family and send them to school   
One by one, each plan had failed, each dream had faded. Now it was
Christmas Eve, and his last hopes were gone. The mother's eyes were 
filled with tears as she heard him tell his four little children, there
would be no Christmas this year    She had been proud of him. 
Although he had no money, he had always made a way for them, 
somehow.    He had built them a home in an old school bus 
that he had redesigned and rebuilt. It wasn't beautiful, but was really
quite comfortable and warm    It had been an uphill battle, every 
step of the way, but with each new obsticle, he would cut a new path around
it   Just two days before, things looked as though they 
were going to work out. He had gotten a little job he could finish in time
to get a few small toys and things before Christmas   Then the 
cold set in. As the thermometer began to plung, it dragged down his last
chance and last hopes to save Christmas for his family    There was 
no laughter in their home, but rather tears. Not tears of anguish, as you
might expect, but tears of prayer    For although there were no 
presents, no lights, or even a tree, there was love all through their home.
There wasa love, hope, and faith that God would provide a 
way   As each minute passed, their hopes and dreams began 
to give way. Finally, bedtime came for the little ones.    
The two youngest ones were tucked in and had just said their night time 
prayers    As they began to close their eyes, they heard the 
sound of a car pulling into the yard.  They couldn't help 
but to wonder who coyuld be there this late on Christmas 
Eve?   The father went to the door and there were three 
strangers. Each held a different package.    As one of the 
strangers entered, he told the dad, "We heard that you weren't going to
have a very good Christmas. Our church took a small collection. 
We hope you aren't offended."    The dad stood there in dismay. Words refused to 
form.    The children all rushed to see what the strangers 
had brought.    Each had a toy for them.   Ther were nuts and fruits and even 
firecrackers.   One of the strangers had quietly slipped 
back back out to their car. When she returned, she was carrying a tiny,
little scrawny, Christmas tree, with one tiny Christmas bulb.   It 
was amazing how such a little tree could fill a room with such 
love.    Now in the case you think this is all some sort of 
fairy tale, let me tell you something.   I was sure glad 
that those three strangers remembered that Christ ----is the most important
part of the word Christmas, and that they took the time to share their Christ,
and Christmas with us
                                 Have a very, Merry Christmas and THANKS. 

    Copyrighted 1999 by Wille  Lee Spooner III