HELD HOSTAGE AT CHRISTMAS!!!

You may think by the title that I am about to share some deep, theological premise on how we are held hostage to the commercialism of Christmas. Sorry to disappoint you. I came across this story and decided to share it. The objective is to bring a smile to your face.

It was coming up to Christmas and Sammy asked his mother if he could have a new bike. She told him that the best idea would be to write to Santa Claus. But Sam, having just played a vital role in the school nativity play, said he would prefer to write to the baby Jesus. So his mother told him that would be fine.

Sam went to his room and wrote, 'Dear Jesus, I have been a very good boy and would like to have a bike for Christmas.' But he wasn't very happy when he read it over. So he decided to try again and this time he wrote:'Dear Jesus, I'm a good boy most of the time and would like a bike for Christmas.'

He read it back and wasn't happy with that one either. He tried a third version: 'Dear Jesus, I could be a good boy if I tried hard and especially if I had a new bike.' He read that one too, but he still wasn't satisfied. So, he decided to go out for a walk while he thought about a better approach. After a short time he passed a house with a small statue of the Virgin Mary in the front garden. He crept in, stuffed the statue under his coat, hurried home and hid it under the bed. Then he wrote this letter.

'Dear Jesus, If you want to see your mother again, you'd better send me a new bike.'

Christmas should be a time of smiles, hope, joy, and the telling of stories. The coming of Jesus to us is the greatest story ever told. What we do with that becomes our story. And that, too, should be a story we pass on to others.

Have a blessed and Merry Christmas that finds Christ at the center.