THE GIFT
December 13 2010

The gift

I was walking home in the cold one night, when I saw an old man gazing, into a window all shiny and bright. There was a Christmas tree lighting the room and I wondered if he felt lonely, too. I knew the old man lived all alone, and I had never seen anyone come or go. He lived just down the street, but I had never taken the time to nod or speak. I stopped for a moment, to look at the tree, hoping to bring magic to my Christmas Eve.
“My tree is different,” the old man said as he quietly started to speak, “Please, come visit my home, and you shall see. My tree has no gifts, all shiny or new, but it is real special, may I share it with you?” Oh well, I thought to myself, it’s Christmas Eve and I’ve nothing to do, might as well spend it with someone else, who is just as blue.
When I entered the door of his little bungalow, a cozy flame in the fireplace gave the room a golden glow, and the sweetest of trees adorned the middle of the floor. As he offered me a cup of tea, I once more thought to myself, huh, little I knew, I had figured him the type to offer a nip of brew. As we drank, he began to speak, and the first thing he whispered was “Thanks be to Thee.” “For what?” I asked the kindly old gent, and he responded with, “My child, you are Heaven Sent.” I sorta laughed, “Well, I have never been called that before,” and thru his grin came these words, I’ll remember forevermore.
“You see, I have no other human, to share Christmas Eve, so I silently asked God, for a companion, please. He sent you, along my way, because I needed someone to share this Holy day. All these things you see under my tree, these are the gifts, that God’s given to me. I have no frankincense, myrrh, or gold, all I have left is a few trinkets and my memories of old. These are gifts, I have been blessed with. These are the pictures of my family and friends; oh, they were all Heaven sent. There is an old box, made of shell and stone, and that silly plastic bag, full of doggie bones. They, of course, aren’t edible anymore, but my little doggie loved them as much as I loved s’mores. And that old fishin’ pole, me and my son shared, on many a shore. The only gift I have for you is to show what God’s love can really do. It will carry you thru many a storm, it will surround and protect you, from all of life’s harm. These little memories, under my tree, are reminders of how wonderful life can really be. My thank you, that you overheard, was to God, for hearing my unspoken words.” We sat and chatted a little more, and before we knew it, the moon was getting ready to snore.
“Well, it’s beginning to snow and I need to get home, before this storm gets full blown.” He smiled and I thanked him again, for sharing his memories and things that had been. There was a big ole lump, deep in my throat, and I had the feeling one gets when they miss the boat. But when I looked up, at the stars shining bright, I knew in my heart, that little old man was right. Right there in the snow I fell to my knees and thanked GOD for the wonderful gift, He had given to me.

(c) amy jean
a.k.a. A. J. Angerstein
12 - 08 - 02
revised 11-06-04
Article views: 6742


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