The Christmas Stranger

The spirit of the holiday came to her home just when she needed it most.
By Natalie Walker Whitlock
Excerpted from "A Christmas Filled with Miracles," by Mary Ellen Angelscribe.
Used without permission. Posted without rights. This is shared somehow to inspire you.

December was especially bleak; the weather was cold and dark, reflecting my feelings.
I usually welcomed this time of year, savoring every minute of the holiday season,
but this year it was different. Financial worries weighed heavy on my spirits,
and my husband David worked grueling hours to make ends meet.
There was always too much to do and too little time.
Too many needs and too little money.
Moreover, I had struggled with post-partum depression since the birth of my fourth
child a few months before, and it made Christmastime especially tough.
It seemed every glad carol and glittering ornament mocked my despair.
Thankfully, my children seemed unfazed by my less-than-jolly attitude.
They carefully penned their letters to Santa and made red and green paper decorations for our spindly Christmas tree. I didn't want to spoil the holidays for them,
yet I felt entirely justified in feeling sorry for myself.
Day after dreary day blurred together until suddenly it was Sunday, December 24.
I was alone with the children, as David worked yet another Christmas Eve at the hospital.
An empty sadness filled my heart as I dressed and readied my family for church, attending more out of habit and obligation than desire. If I had expected some renewal from the service, it wasn't to be, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Being in the presence of so many happy people was almost more than I could bear. After herding the kids into the car, I charged homeward, anxious to finish the day's preparations. In my haste, I accidentally passed our usual turn-off. As we detoured down the unfamiliar street, I noticed an old man up ahead. He walked with a pronounced limp, and he struggled to carry a heavy grocery sack. Suddenly, inspiration overcame discretion--and going against caution and my better judgment--I pulled over. "Hello," I called through the open passenger's side window. "Can we give you a lift somewhere?"
The stranger hesitated before answering, taking a long look at my kid-packed station wagon. "Sure," he said carefully. After he settled into the backseat, I asked him where he would like to go. "I don't know," he replied quietly. Before I could reply, my children had invited the shabby stranger to our house for dinner. "I suppose you could come over until you figure something else out..." I muttered. As we drove, I introduced myself and my children. Our passenger introduced himself simply as "Richard." As it turned out, Richard truly was a stranger--just passing through town on his way to nowhere in particular. He lived wherever nightfall found him. All that he owned he carried in an overstuffed shopping bag. Once home, my children had no trouble warming up to our visitor, but getting Richard to open up was like cracking a vault rusted shut by years of disuse. Yet, they persevered. They gathered around, asking him question after question, prodding and prying until his history and its neglected cache were slowly revealed to us. We discovered that Richard had served in two wars, worked on the railroad, and hitchhiked across North America. He had lost his sweetheart and young son many years ago in the same accident that left him crippled. Afterward, he bounced around from job to job, and ended up homeless and fighting an addiction to alcohol.
This Christmas found Richard a physically and mentally broken man. Richard's hard life and years on the streets were reflected in his careworn face. His appearance was haggard and dirty. He coughed frequently and smelled faintly of whiskey. And yet...my children saw none of this. They gathered around him, asking question after question. They listened eagerly and treated him with the familiarity of a long-lost relation. Where I had seen a pitiful stranger, my children saw a kindly old man. They saw in Richard a fellow human being who could love and be loved. They saw a friend. When dinner was ready, Richard ate like he hadn't had a meal in days. I pretended not to notice when he tucked an extra piece of bread in his coat pocket. Afterward, I invited him to rest in the big recliner; he was sound asleep before the dishes were cleared. While he slept, I undertook the business of finding Richard a place to stay for the night. But who could I reach on Christmas Eve? Who would be available at this hour? As I had feared, the calls to each charity and agency were met with an answering machine or a terse "We're full." When there seemed nothing else to do--save turn him out on the street--Richard became our guest for the night. Richard accepted the invitation and thanked us with the graciousness of a refined gentleman. He thanked me for the home-cooked meal, the pleasant company, and for the best sleep he'd had in years. Then he said good-bye to each child. It was a tender scene as they parted with their newfound friend. Later, as I lay in my warm, comfortable bed, I contemplated Richard and his misfortunes. I was humbled as I recalled how that very morning I had been so pessimistic and ungrateful for my own abundant life. My introspection was interrupted by quiet footsteps as my 6-year-old son appeared at the foot of my bed. "Mom, are you awake?" "Yes, Jeffrey," I whispered. "What if we hadn't given Richard a ride?" He asked pensively. As a single shaft of moonlight parted the darkness of the room, illuminating my son's guileless face, I was filled with emotion. Then a lonely old man would have spent Christmas Eve cold and hungry, I thought, my eyes brimming with tears. And I said, "I guess we might never have known what a wonderful person he is." As I pulled my dear son close, the two of us shared a moment of eloquent silence, and I offered a voiceless prayer, Thank you, God, for sending us Richard.
When Christmas morning came, the kids were almost as excited to see Richard again as they were to open their presents. They begged and they pestered until I agreed to wake him. But, to our dismay and disappointment, Richard was gone. The room was left so neat, it almost looked as if no one had even stayed there. We never saw Richard again. My family remembers that Christmas fondly. Even though Richard wasn't physically with us, he wasn't forgotten. Because of Richard, our Christmas was full of blessing and thanksgiving. And because of Richard, I found the hope and happiness I was so desperately missing. The spirit and joy of the holidays was never stronger than the year we opened our hearts and our home to a stranger.

Be Mindful O Lord!

Be mindful, O Lord, of those who travel by land, by sea, and by air; of the old and young, the sick, the suffering, the sorrowing, the afflicted, the captives, the needy and the poor; and upon them all send forth Thy mercies, for Thou art the Giver of all good things.

Blessing of Christmas Tree

Holy Creator of Trees, bless with your abundant grace
this our Christmas tree as a symbol of joy.
May its evergreen branches be a sign
of your never-fading promises.
May its colorful lights and ornaments call us
to decorate with love our home and our world.
May the gifts that surround this tree
be symbols of the gifts we have received
from the Tree of Christ’s Cross.
Holy Christmas tree within our home,
may Joy and Peace come and nest in your branches
and in our hearts. Amen.
- Author Unknown

Prayer for Difficult Times

Prayer for Difficult Times
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.I have sworn, and have confirmed it, to observe Thy righteous ordinances.I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O HaShem, according unto Thy word.Accept, I beseech Thee, the freewill-offerings of my mouth, O HaShem, and teach me Thine ordinances.My soul is continually in my hand; yet have I not forgotten Thy law.The wicked have laid a snare for me; yet went I not astray from Thy precepts.Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart.I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes, for ever, at every step.
- Psalms 119: 105-112

ALL TIME PRAYER

Oh Lord, kindly forgive my wrong actions done knowingly or unknowingly, either through my organs of action (hand, feet, speech) or through my organs of perception (eyes, ears) or by my mind. Glory unto Thee O Lord, who is the ocean of kindness. The most Holy and Forgiving FATHER.

Child Eveming Hymn

Child's Evening Hymn

I hear no voice, I feel no touch,
I see no glory bright;
But yet I know that God is near,
In darkness as in light.

He watches ever by my side,
And hears my whispered prayer:
The Father for His little child
Both night and day doth care.

- Anonymous

Psalm of Protection

Psalm of Protection
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
- Psalms 27: 1-3

In Praise of GOD

You are holy, Lord, the only God,and
Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life,
Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty,
Merciful Saviour.

- St. Francis of Assisi

food Prayer at Workplace...

Lord Jesus, as I enter this workplace,
I bring Your presence with me.
I speak Your peace, Your grace,
and Your perfect order into the atmosphere of this office.
I acknowledge Your Lordship over all that will be spoken,
thought, decided and accomplished within these walls.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for the gifts You have deposited in me.
I do not take them lightly, but commit to using them responsibly and well.
Give me a fresh supply of truth and beauty;
on which to draw as I do my job.
Anoint my creativity,
my ideas, my energy so that even my smallest task may bring You honor.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me.
When I am weary, energize me.
Lord, when I am burned out, infuse me with the light of Your Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it,
bring hope, life, and courage to all that I come in contact with today.
And Oh Lord, even in this day's most stressful moment,
may I rest in You.
In the name of Jesus my savior I pray.
Amen.
- Unknown

Prayer of a Believer

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord.
Take control of my life.
Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.
Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Make my senses be focus upon You always.
That I see You before everyone and everything.
In my sleep and awaken times.
Now and forever. Amen

The Jewish Atheist

The Jewish Atheist
On New York's Upper West Side lived an assimilated Jew who was a militant atheist. But he sent his son to Trinity School because, despite its denominational roots, it’s a great school and completely secular.After a month, the boy comes home and says casually, “By the way Dad, do you know what ‘Trinity’ means? It means the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”The father can barely control his rage. He seizes his son by the shoulders and declares, “Danny, I’m going to tell you something now and I want you never to forget it. There is only one God. AND we don’t believe in Him!”

Restore our Fortunes

Restore Our Fortunes
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

then were we like those who dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations,

"The Lord has done great things for them."

The Lord has done great things for us,

and we are glad indeed.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like the watercourses of the Negev.

Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

carrying the seed,

will come again with joy,

shouldering their sheaves.
- Psalms 126: 1-6

Prayer for Children Going to School

Prayer for Children Going to School
A new adventure awaits themas they prepare for school.
Excitement for new possibilities
and fear of the unknownmingle in their hearts.
Thoughts of achievement and failureslow their footsteps.
Bless all children this day, O God.
Give them inquiring and discerning hearts,
courage to persevere in all they undertake,
the gift of joy and wonder in all things,
laughter and love to share with all,
and sure and certain knowledge
of your unfailing love.Amen.


- V C A

The Sinner's Prayer

The Sinner's Prayer
Try me, O God, and search the ground of my heart: prove me and examine my thoughts. Look well if there be any wickedness in me, any root of bitterness yet undiscovered; and lead me in the way everlasting. Show me the true state of my soul. Bring me out from every false refuge. Strip off every deceitful covering, every covering that is not of Thy Spirit. Forbid that the anchor of my hope should be cast, or the house of my dependence built, on any but Christ, the Rock of Ages. Forbid that I should rest short of that repentance which is Thy gift, and is connected with life eternal: and forbid, O forbid, that I should sit down without aspiring to that conformity unto Thee in righteousness and true holiness, abstracted from which repentance is false and faith is dead.

- Augustus Toplady

Hard Negotiations...

Moses Negotiates the CommandmentsThe Hebrew people were sitting around Mt. Sinai. You could hear only a subdued murmur among them, but you could feel the tension in the air.For hours now, Moses had been on top of the mountain, hidden from their gaze by clouds wafting around its top. Sometimes the clouds became dark and you could hear thunder rolling down. In spite of the warm weather, this caused a shudder among the waiting mass.The end of day was approaching and dusk was beginning to set in when suddenly a figure came through the clouds and walked down the steep mountainside carrying a heavy load. It was Moses.Moses set down his load and raised his hands."Friends," he said. "Friends, it was hard work and I have done my best. I have negotiated with Him. I used every possible argument, every trick I could think of—and I think I was successful. The good news is: I brought him down from 15 to 10. The bad news is: Adultery is still in."

The Nuns Enter Heaven

(Let's chuckle a little).


Three nuns died and visited St. Peter at the pearly gates. St. Peter said he would admit them if they each answer one question.

He turned to the first nun and asked, "Who was the first man?"

"Adam," the nun confidently replied. The trumpets sounded and the angels sang as the gates swung open and she walked into heaven.

St. Peter turned to the second nun. "Who was the first woman?""Eve," she replied. The trumpets sounded and the angels sang.

Then St. Peter turned to the last nun. "What was the first thing Eve said to Adam?"

The nun paused for a moment. "Gee, that's a hard one!"

The trumpets sounded and the angels sang.

Spouse's Prayer

Lord Jesus,
grant that I and my spouse may have a true
and understanding love for each other.
Grant that we may both
be filled with faith and trust.
Give us the grace to live
with each other in peace and harmony.
May we always bear with one another's weaknesses
and grow from each other's strengths.
help us to forgive one another's failings
and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness
and the spirit of placing the well-being
of one another ahead of self.

May the love that brought us together
grow and mature with each passing year.
Bring us both ever closer to You
through our love for each other.
Let our love grow to perfection.

The Haircut

The Haircut
from BiliefNet

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut and we'll talk about it." After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father's study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!"

The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair...."

To which his father replied, "Yes, and they walked everywhere they went!"

I Also Know and Agree....That

We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.

Anonymous

Joke a Minute!

Jesus is Watching You!

There was a burglar who broke into a home and started to gather the items he wanted to take. All of a sudden he heard, "Jesus is watching you!" He didn't see anything in the dark house, so he went on with what he was doing.

He heard, "Jesus is watching you!" again and then he really wondered who was saying that. He turned on the flashlight, scanned the room, and finally saw a parrot.

"Did you say that?" asked the burglar.

"Yes," replied the parrot.

"By the way, what's your name?" the burglar inquired."Moses," answered the parrot.

"That's a strange name for a parrot. Who named you that?"

"The same people who named their rotweiller Jesus!"