In honor of Christmas week, I want to share a letter written by a woman named Susan.

“It was December 23, 1993. For a single mom who was going to college and supporting my children by myself, Christmas was looking bleak. I looked around my little home, realization dawning like a slow, twisting pain. We were poor. Our tiny house had two bedrooms, both off the living room. They were so small that my baby daughter’s crib barely fit into one room, and my son’s twin bed and dresser were squeezed into the other. I slept every night on the living room floor.

It was early evening, about 8 o’clock. The snow was falling softly and my children were both asleep. Suddenly, my front door vibrated with a pounding fist. Alarmed, I wondered who would stop by unannounced on a snowy winter night. I opened the door to find a group of strangers grinning from ear to ear, their arms laden with boxes and bags. I was confused but grinned back at them. ‘Are you Susan?’ The man stepped forward as he held out a box for me. ‘These are for you.’ A woman thrust another box at me. I looked down into her box. It was filled with a turkey, and everything needed for a great meal. My eyes filled with tears as the realization of why they were there washed over me. Finally coming to my senses, I found my voice and invited them in.

Following the husband were two children. The family introduced themselves and told me their packages were all gifts for our family. My prayer for weeks had been for God to somehow let us have a ‘normal’ Christmas. God had apparently sent angels. My mysterious angels then handed me a white envelope, wished me a Merry Christmas, and disappeared into the night. I cried and cried and a great sense of peace filled me. The knowledge of God’s love reaching into my little corner of the world enveloped me like a warm quilt. Suddenly I remembered the envelope. I ripped it open and gasped at what I saw. A shower of bills fluttered to the floor. It totaled $100. I smiled when I thought about Christmas Eve coming the next night. One visit from complete strangers had magically turned a painful day into a special one, one that we would always remember.

It’s been several years since our visit from the Christmas angels. I have remarried and our household is happy and blessed. Every year since ’93, we have chosen a family less fortunate than we are. We bring them food and gifts and as much money as we can spare. It’s our way of passing on what was given to us. It’s the ‘ripple effect’ in motion. We hope the cycle continues and that someday, the families we share with will be able to pass it on as well.”

I share this with you wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and hoping that you realize that a Merry Christmas for yourself is in your hands, but more importantly, a Merry Christmas for someone else might be in your hands as well.

Until next time, so long everybody.

***

‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].