Fw: This is what Christmas is all about

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I thought everyone would enjoy the story.Margaret A. Cote----- Forwarded Message ----

This is what Christmas is all about...Better bundle up - the goose bumps will freeze you!! I think I need to readthis every year at Christmas."Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered theirmeans and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who weregenuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from himthat I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not fromreceiving.It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like theworld had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buyme the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early thatnight for some reason. I just figured Pa

wanted a little extra time so wecould read in the Bible.After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of thefireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feelingsorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to readScriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again andwent outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all thechores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing inself-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and therewas ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's coldout tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the riflefor Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthlyreason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn'tthink of anything else

that needed doing, especially not on a night likethis. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet whenhe'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on andgot my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I openedthe door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what..Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was thework team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were goingto do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We neverhitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa wasalready up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him.The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Papulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed.

Hegot off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said."Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than Iwanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we weregoing to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and cameout with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling downfrom the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. Whatwas he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are youdoing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensenlived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or sobefore and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'dbeen by, but so what?Yeah," I said, "Why?""I rode by just

today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in thewoodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That wasall he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for anotherarmload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began towonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt toour loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham anda side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sledand wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his rightshoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in thelittle sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just hadgunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile thismorning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't

beChristmas without a little candy."We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried tothink through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards.Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now wasstill in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and splitbefore we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that,but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes andcandy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closerneighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood asquietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door.We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?""Lucas Miles,

Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrappedaround her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sittingin front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off anyheat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp."We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack offlour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that hadthe shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pairat a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children -sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully.She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled hereyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like

shewanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out."We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said,"Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to sizeand heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out tobring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate toadmit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing thosethree kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there withtears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that shecouldn't speak.My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled mysoul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it hadmade so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives ofthese people.I soon had the fire

blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids startedgiggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen lookedon with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. Shefinally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sentyou. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of hisangels to spare us."In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled upin my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, butafter Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. Iwas sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I startedremembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and manyothers. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was

amazedwhen they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then Iguessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would makesure he got the right sizes.Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave.Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung tohim and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and Iwas glad that I still had mine.At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me toinvite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkeywill be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerousif he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you abouteleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here,hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the

youngest. My two brothersand two sisters had all married and had moved away.Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have tosay, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't evennotice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt,I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a littlemoney away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, butwe didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little moneyfrom years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were realexcited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started intotown this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey outscratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny

sacks and Iknew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candyfor those children. I hope you understand."I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood verywell, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on mylist of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the lookon Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a blockof wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I feltriding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a riflethat night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life."Don't be too busy today. Share this inspiring message. God bless you!=