Christmas is such a special time of year.  You would think that EVERYONE would be happy.  In fact, while many of us ARE happy about Christmas coming, there are some people who are very sad at Christmas time.

For instance, Margaret.  You may remember Margaret.  She was a Security Guard at the Camp Hill Mall for several years.  Then last summer she graduated from Police Academy and was hired as a police officer.  She was VERY proud of that accomplishment.  Except last month she lost her job.  Not because she did anything wrong.  She was a very good police officer, but the city had to cut their budget and that meant that Margaret had to lose her job. 

So now she has a temporary job working at the mall again.  She is really tired of being at the mall.  When she gets home to her little apartment, she sits alone in the quiet.  She thinks about her mother who died several years ago.  And that makes her sad.  And she thinks about her brothers who are all very successful.  Captain Hale flies airplanes and her other brothers have big families and live in the woods in upper New York State.

So here Margaret is alone on her bed, staring at the ceiling, too tired to even get her own supper.  She is brokenhearted and missing her mother.  Margaret saw the Bible on the table and for some reason, she felt she should open it up.  Maybe it was God who encouraged her.  The words she found were in I Thessalonians.  It said ‘REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” 

Margaret laid the Bible down.  “Hmmm, I don’t really FEEL like rejoicing.  But I guess I could pray more often.”  And so Margaret said a prayer right there.

She thanked God for her nice warm apartment, and for such wonderful brothers.  She asked God to take care of her old mother up there in heaven.  And she said she was glad to HAVE a job, even if it was at the mall.  As Margaret said this prayer, she felt her spirits lift a little bit.  Maybe things weren’t all that bad.  She wasn’t planning to have a Christmas tree this year, but maybe she would light a candle to make her place seem more Christmas like.  She lighted this candle that smells like a Christmas tree.

And then she heard a faint clattering sound. 

THEN OUT ON THE LAWN THERE AROSE SUCH A CLATTER
SHE SPRANG FROM HER BED TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER.
AWAY TO THE WINDOW SHE FLEW LIKE A FLASH,
TORE OPEN THE SHUTTERS AND THREW UP THE SASH.

OUT THERE ON THE BREAST OF THE NEW-FALLEN SNOW,
WAS A SHEIGH WITH TWO PEOPLE SHE THOUGHT SHE SHOULD KNOW

It was Uncle Floyd and Mrs. Potato Head!!!  And they had a Christmas Tree and they were singing “Joy to the world, they Lord is come.  Let earth receive its King!”  And they were coming to see Margaret!

They put the tree in her room and they had Christmas cookies that Uncle Floyd baked and they brought a pizza and they had a present with Margaret’s name on, which they placed under the tree.  And they brought JOY and GLADNESS into Margaret’s home.

Jesus came to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to comfort all who mourn.  That is just what Mrs. Potato Head and Uncle Floyd did.  Maybe you can too!

THE END

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