A (True) Christmas Story for 2013
In order not to rob herself of a blessing, and in order not to be accused of “sounding her own trumpet” (as “in the manner of the Pharisees”) she can’t tell anyone about this. Yet, I can . . .
It was the morning of Christmas Eve. She was braving the cold weather and the insane traffic in order to run some last minute errands. Her primarily goal was to pick up some odds and ends for the family Christmas Dinner that she was hosting the following day. Although she had long ago dropped the habit of buying a load of frivolous presents—material things that are often quickly set aside and forgotten—one of her stops was by the bank to pick up some cash. She wasn’t sure just why. After stopping by the bank, she pulled into the parking lot of a Dollar Tree store.
As she started walking toward the doors of the discount emporium, she noticed an older woman, a young woman and three children emerge from an old, beat-up van. She thought that they were probably a grandmother, her daughter and her grandchildren. At that moment, a quiet voice said, “You need to do something for those people.”
She had heard that voice before. Sometimes she shrugged it off and at other times she responded to it. Today, she paused and asked, “Is that You, God . . ? Or is it just my own thoughts?”
As she walked through the aisles of the store, she passed by the little group, from the old van in the parking lot, several times. Each time she did, that small, insistent, irresistible voice kept saying: “You need to do something for those people.” And each time, she asked, “Is it You, God? Show me that it really is You, Holy Spirit.”
When she got to the checkout line, there was the older woman, carefully counting out her change to make a small purchase.
This was all the “proof” that she needed that the Holy Spirit, was indeed speaking to her and that she needed to respond. She reached into her purse, pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, and handed it to the lady.
“Have a wonderful Christmas,” she said to the old woman. To herself she said, “Thank you Holy Spirit, for letting me know you were really speaking to me. You have blessed me beyond measure.”
It is said that, “The LORD works in mysterious ways.” Yet sometimes, if we listen carefully, the revelation of the LORD’s thoughts and blessings are ours simply for the asking, because The Kingdom of God is within and among you. It is here that Faith begins, along with The Unconditional Love of God that some translate as “Charity.” Believe it or don’t. It is Your choice.
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Originally Posted by RadicalModerate
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