Love is Christmas

 

     

It’s the 12^th month of the year, December. It’s the month to rejoice, party and have fun because it’s Christmas! Christmas! Everywhere.  Every nook and corner we see bright colorful starts, shopping malls fully packed, decorated cribs in everyone’s house and Church and delicious cakes and sweets to feast.

 

Now what does Christmas really mean?  Does Christmas means painting your house, cleaning, buying clothes, eating and decorating the house?  Is not Christmas something more than all these Worldly things? Above all these things there are some things really special about Christmas.  What is it?    

 

Christmas is Love! Christmas is in the Joy of Giving others and Sharing with others.  I did not believe in this until a very small, cute little boy gave me a wonderful gift during Christmas. 

 

It all happened during the month of December 1999, I was jobless and in bad need for a job.  As it was Christmas there had been a lot of expenses coming up the way.  I used to fall on my knees and prayed to God before I went for any interview.  I used to say “God please, let me get a job before Christmas, so that I can spent it with happiness, otherwise my family and myself will be very sad on this Great day!” God very soon answered my prayers.  Not only answering my pray he also doubled my income compared to my first received salary.  Oh! My I really have no words to describe the amount of Joy that filled in our home. 

 

So as a thanks giving, my family decided to give a small Christmas party for the little orphan children who were been taken cared by the Sisters of “Mother Teresa.”  We went and spoke to the Mother Superior and got her prior permission.  We were asked to be there on the 20^th of Dec, at 12:00 afternoon as we arranged for a delicious lunch for the kiddies.  One Sister of Mother Teresa said, they will be more happy if we could server them the food, we said it will be our pleasure and we went back home.

 

We were so happy and much involved in getting them some little gifts and toys well packed in colorful wrappers, along with some candies and cakes.  There were more than 25-30 young ones in the age group of 1-5yrs.  When we entered we saw these little ones, waiting for us in the dinning hall, with empty plates, full of hunger eagerly looking out for us.  When they seen us, they all jumped up with joy and greeted us.  Oh! My how will I describe the happiness and joy we experienced, while we were serving the little ones, tears ran down our cheeks!  Is this the real Christmas we missed so many years!?  We were just enjoying being with them. 

 

While everyone was eating one little boy was just starting at the food and never ate. I walked up to him and asked him does he need some thing more. He said, “No, I have enough.” Then why are you waiting I asked him.  He said, “I am waiting for my mother to feed me? My mother always feeds me, but now I do not know where she is.” Then he started to cry.  It took some time for me to convince him and I started to feed him.  The tears that gushed from his eyes slowly stopped and with that tear filled sparkling eyes he gave me a warm smile.   

 

After everyone had their lunch, Mother Superior asked the little ones to assemble in their Playroom.  My family and myself followed the kiddies; they sang rhymes, carols and some even danced for us.  We then handed over their gifts, which we had bought for them. 

 

Then this little boy went out to play with his toys in the garden, I followed him.  I went close to him asked him if he liked the gift and he replied as all the kids did.  I then asked him “I gave you a Christmas gift, now where is my gift?” he just looked up for a moment and said “humm! Gift…” and kept silent for some time. Then he said “Stay here I will be back” screaming “waaait for meeeee……” he ran to a small box, and opened it, I guess it was the box where he stored all his play toys.  He opened the box and I seen him take something from that box, but I was not sure what he had. 

 

He returned back to me, with his two little hands behind his back.  "I have your present," he said with his soft sweet voice. "I hope you like it." He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.

Not wanting to disappoint him I said "Its beautiful. Is there something in it?" I asked opening the top to look inside. "

"Oh you can't see what's in it," He replied, "and you can't touch it, or taste it or feel it, but Mother Superior always said it makes you feel good all the time and safe when you're all alone."

I gazed into the empty box. "What is it," I asked gently, "that will make me feel so good?" "It's my love," he whispered softly, "and Mother Superior always said it's best when you give it away." And he continued to play. 

Yes my dear friends, Christmas is for gaiety, mirth and song, for good and wondrous gifts. But mostly of all, Christmas is for love.  It is written in the Bible “For God So loved the World, he gave his only begotten Son ”Jesus.” 

                                                                                    ---Lovena Fernando