Christmas Gift (Inspirational Story)

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Scriptures. But Pa didn'tget the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went

outside.I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all thechores. I

didn't worry about it long though, I was too busywallowing in self-pity.Soon Pa

came back in. It was a cold clear night out and therewas ice in his beard.

"Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle upgood, it's cold out tonight." I was

really upset then. Not onlywasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa

was dragging meout in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see.We'd

already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anythingelse that needed

doing, especially not on a night like this.But I knew Pa was not very patient

at one dragging one's feetwhen he'd told them to do something, so I got up and

put myboots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me amysterious

smile as I opened the door to

leave the house.Something was up, but I didn't know what.Outside, I became even

more dismayed. There in front of thehouse was the work team, already hitched

to the big sled.Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a

short,quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sledunless we

were going to haul a big load.Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I

reluctantlyclimbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me.I wasn't

happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around thehouse and stopped in front

of the woodshed. He got off and Ifollowed. "I think we'll put on the high

sideboards," he said."Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a

bigger jobthan I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, butwhatever it

was we were going to do would be a lot bigger withthe high sideboards on.After

we had exchanged the

sideboards, Pa went into the woodshedand came out with an armload of wood---the

wood I'd spent allsummer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall

sawinginto blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I saidsomething.

"Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by theWidow Jensen's lately?" he

asked. The Widow Jensen lived abouttwo miles down the road. Her husband had

died a year or sobefore and left her with three children, the oldest being

eight.Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "Why?I rodeby just

today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging aroundin the woodpile trying to

find a few chips. They're out ofwood, Matt."That was all he said and then he

turned and went back into thewoodshed for another armload of wood. I followed

him. Weloaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horseswould be

able to pull it. Finally, Pa

called a halt to ourloading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a

bigham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me toput them in the

sled and wait.When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his

rightshoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand."What's in the

little sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out ofshoes. Little Jakey just had

gunny sacks wrapped around hisfeet when he was out in the woodpile this

morning. I got thechildren a little candy too. It just wouldn't be

Christmaswithout a little candy."We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty

much in silence.I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have

muchby worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile,though most of

what was left now was still in the form of logsthat I would have to saw into

blocks and split before we coulduse

it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, butI knew we didn't

have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoesand candy?Really, why was he

doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closerneighbors than us; it shouldn't have

been our concern. We camein from the blind side of the Jensen house and

unloaded the woodas quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour

andshoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and atimid voice

said, "Who is it?Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son,Matt. Could we come in for

a bit?"Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanketwrapped

around her shoulders. The children were wrapped inanother and were sitting in

front of the fireplace by a verysmall fire that hardly gave off any heat at

all. Widow Jensenfumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought

youa few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set

down the sack of flour. Iput the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the

sack that hadthe shoes in it.She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out

one pair at atime. There was a pair for her and one for each of

thechildren---sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. Iwatched her

carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it fromtrembling and then tears

filled her eyes and started runningdown her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like

she wanted to saysomething, but it wouldn't come out."We brought a load of wood

too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned tome and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to

last awhile. Let'sget that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't

thesame person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had abig lump in

my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, therewere tears in my eyes too.In

my mind I kept seeing those three kids

huddled around thefireplace and their mother standing there with tears

runningdown her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that shecouldn't

speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'dnever known before, filled

my soul. I had given at Christmasmany times before, but never when it had made

so much difference.I could see we were literally saving the lives of these

people.I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared.The kids

started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candyand Widow Jensen

looked on with a smile that probably hadn'tcrossed her face for a long time.

She finally turned to us."God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent

you.The children and I have been praying that he would send one of hisangels to

spare us."In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tearswelled

up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in

thoseexact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I couldsee that it

was probably true. I was sure that a better manthan Pa had never walked the

earth. I started remembering allthe times he had gone out of his way for Ma

and me, and manyothers. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.Pa insisted

that everyone try on the shoes before we left.I was amazed when they all fit and

I wondered how he had knownwhat sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on

an errandfor the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right

sizes.Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stoodup to

leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gavethem a hug. They

clung to him and didn't want us to go.I could see that they missed their Pa,

and I was glad that Istill had mine.At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and

said, "The Mrs.wanted me to invite you and

the children over for Christmasdinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than

the three of uscan eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat

turkeyfor too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'llbe nice

to have some little ones around again. Matt, here,hasn't been little for quite

a spell." I was the youngest.My two brothers and two sisters had all married

and had moved away.Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles.I

don't have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certainthat He

will."Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and Ididn't

even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turnedto me and said, "Matt,

I want you to know something. Your maand me have been tucking a little money

away here and there allyear so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't

havequite enough.Then yesterday a man who

owed me a little money from years backcame by to make things square. Your ma

and me were realexcited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and

Istarted into town this morning to do just that. But on the wayI saw little

Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feetwrapped in those gunny sacks

and I knew what I had to do.Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy

for thosechildren. I hope you understand."I understood, and my eyes became wet

with tears again.I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it.Now

the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa hadgiven me a lot more.

He had given me the look on Widow Jensen'sface and the radiant smiles of her

three children.For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensen's,

orsplit a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering broughtback that same

joy I felt riding home beside Pa that

night.Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had givenme the best

Christmas of my life.

Author unknown

Source: From the Net