Christmas Spirit

 

May there be

at least one moment

this holiday season

when you’re reminded

what it’s really

all about.

~ unknown

 

It was to the point that Mike Gavin disliked the Christmas Season.  He enjoyed the true meaning of Christmas, but not the commercialization.  The hurried shopping, gifts bought just to have something to give, the overspending, and the stress were taking away from the joy and purpose of Christmas.  Mike also knew that he only needed so many ties, sweaters, or shirts to wear.

 

That year, Kevin, their 12-year-old son, was on the school wrestling team.  A few weeks before Christmas, their team had a non-league practice match against a team that was sponsored by an inner-city church.  The team players wrestled in worn out tennis shoes and regular clothes.  There was a stark difference between the two teams, with Kevin’s team wearing their gold and blue uniforms and new wrestling shoes.  The opponents even competed without headgear, because they could not afford it.  Not surprisingly, Kevin’s school team won every match.  Mike commented, “I wish just one of them could have won.  They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”

 

That’s when Mile’s wife, Nancy, came up with a plan, in hopes of boosting his Christmas spirit.  The next day, she went to the sporting goods store, bought headgear and wrestling shoes, and had them sent to the inner-city church.

 

Nancy then wrote a note to Mike telling him about buying the sports items and donating them anonymously to the church.  She placed the letter in a white envelope, wrote Mike’s name on it, and stuck it in the branches of the Christmas tree.

 

When it was time to exchange gifts, Mike’s envelope was the last to be opened.  He was most pleased with the gift from Nancy.  The white envelope tradition began.  In other years, tickets were bought to send handicap students to a hockey game, a check was given to two elderly brothers whose house had burned to the ground during Christmas week, and other gifts through the years.

 

The letter became one of the highlights of Christmas.  Whereas it was the last gift opened the first year, the children now wanted the envelope to be opened first.  They eagerly awaited, as Mike read the contents of the letter.

 

The year Mike died all three children came home for Christmas.  Before they arrived, Nancy put up and decorated the tree.  The last thing she did Christmas Eve was to put the white envelope on the tree.  The next morning, three additional white envelopes were on the branches of the tree.  For the first time, each of the three children placed an envelope on the tree explaining a gift given in memory of their dad.  And the tradition continues to this day.

 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10