A Christmas Thought – Sunday Thought For The Day

As I write this “Sunday Thought” it is Saturday evening, four days before Christmas, and a warm hello from our elderly widowed neighbor reminded me of a Christmas experience not that long ago.

As the days before that Christmas Eve were counting down, I stopped by one of my favorite bakeries located in a farmer’s market. The market was beyond crowded; as I stood in front of one of the display counters deciding which baked delight I was going to purchase, one of ladies working said to me: “You look so calm and at ease; you must have all of your Christmas shopping done.” I responded that I still had much to do.

She remarked again, that I appeared to be so calm and at ease.  I thanked her; made my purchase, wished her a “blessed Merry Christmas” and made my way through the throngs of people back out to the car.

From there our son and I went to the grocery store.  As he and I were making our way through the store, there was a lady standing looking up at the top shelf only a step or so from us. Finally she gave a frustrated look – turned and started to push her shopping cart down the aisle.

It was then that I said: “Excuse me, but did you need help reaching something from the top shelf.” She turned back to me and replied that she didn’t need help, she was just looking and thinking. Then her wrinkled face broke into a warm smile; she thanked me and joking asked where I was a couple days ago when she did need help reaching something on a top shelf; laughing I responded: “you should have called me.” We both laughed and again she smiled the sweetest smile.  I said, God bless you, and wished her a blessed Merry Christmas.

As our son and I turned to go the other way in the aisle, I remarked that there was something so precious and sweet about the woman; as I said it, my eyes welled up with tears and my voice broke. I don’t know what it was that moved my spirit as it did, but I had been deeply moved by the woman. I told our son that I just wanted to give her a hug.

The woman had a tooth missing in the front of her mouth and her other front teeth were crooked. Her hair was gray, thinning and mussed.  She was disheveled, and her walk was unsteady.  The lady was the kind of person people would ignore and pass by as if she didn’t exist. It was at that moment that I remembered the bakery person’s observation of me. And things fell into place.

Now be assured; I’m not tooting my own horn; but this is one of those spirit led teachable moments. I was calm and completely relaxed at the bakery.  The throngs of people hustling about notwithstanding; I was the one the counterperson observed who exhibited calm.  I realized the reason for my calm wasn’t about me, it was about the day we celebrate as the birth of Messiah.

As for the beautiful disheveled lady we met in the store that day; my love and compassion was because of the love and compassion shown me by the grown Child we celebrate as born on Christmas day. He has showered me with love, mercy, grace and compassion when I deserved His wrath.

It was His love for me that was shared with the elderly lady in the store. It was my gratefulness for His sovereignty in my life that so touched my heart for the woman.

I pray this Christmas and every day of the allotted time remaining for all of us who claim Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord, that we would remember His compassion and love for us.  May we live our lives in the calm of His grace and may we always look upon others with the same, especially those who would be considered the least of us, with true heartfelt love that can only be shared if we know Messiah as our Savior.