There was once a man who didn't believe in God,
and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt
about religion and religious holidays, like Christmas.
His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their
children to also have faith in God and Jesus,
despite his disparaging comments.
One snowy Christmas Eve,
his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve
service in the farm community in which they lived.
She asked him to come, but he refused.
"That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower
Himself to come to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous!"
So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned
into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window,
all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax
before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump.
Something had hit the window. Then another thump.
He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.
When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see
what could have been beating on his window.
In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese.
Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when
they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on.
They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter.
They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in
low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown
into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them.
The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought.
It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and
wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened
the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice
the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around
aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it
could mean for them.
The man tried to get their attention,
but that just seemed to scare them and
they moved further away.
He went into the house and came with some bread,
broke it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn.
They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting frustrated.
He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn,
but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction
except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into
the barn where they would be warm and safe.
"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed.
"Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive
the storm?" He thought for a moment and realized that they
just wouldn't follow a human.
"If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese,
and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the
flock of wild geese. He then released it.
His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn--
and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken
a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind:
"If only I were a goose, then I could save them!"
Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier.
"Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"
Suddenly it all made sense.
That is what God had done.
We were like the geese --- blind, lost, perishing.
God had His Son become like us so
He could show us the way and save us.
That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized.
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul
became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought.
Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about,
why Christ had come.
Years of doubt and disbelief vanished
like the passing storm.
He fell to his knees in the snow,
and prayed his first prayer:
"Thank You, God, for coming in human form
to get me out of the storm!"
--Author unknown
A LITTLE BIT OF CHRISTMAS
(GARNETT ANN SCHULTZ)
Just a little bit of Christmas
and the whole world seems to glow
With a special sort of laughter
that we love and treasure so-
Nothing more than just some holly
or a wreath upon the door
And it fills our hearts with Christmas
and the season we adore.
Just a little bit of giving
and we know a warmth and pride,
There's a feeling of contentment,
ever growing deep inside-
It is such a pleasant custom
as we tie each package bright
And however small the present,
it's the thought that brings delight.
Just a little bit of praying
and how very sure we are
That we've found God ever loving,
and we've seen that wondrous star.
There are angel voices singing
and their music fills the air
With a little bit of Christmas
being scattered everywhere.
Just a little bit of knowing
of the meaning of this day
And a little real believing
in the words we kneel and pray,
Just a little bit of sharing,
all the faith it might impart
Just a little bit of Christmas
puts a peace in every heart.
