The Christmas Card

The stressed look on her face was obvious as they waited together in line at the checkout register.  They had been shopping for hours and her best friend was much worse for the wear.  Her easy laughter was missing, and her calm demeanor had given way to a curtness that bordered on rudeness.  At least two sales clerks and a young gift adviseor had felt the sting of her dissatisfaction already this morning.  Thankfully it was time for lunch and an opportunity to unwind and regroup from the morning shopping.

Unfortunately, something as simple as lunch in the mall food court was not simple at all.  Ellen continued her pattern of discontent as she complained about the lack of food choices, eventually settling for a slice of pizza.  “Can you believe the price of one slice of bad pizza?”, she whined.  “And this drink is watered down. Grrr!”

Callie, who had opted for a salad, had heard enough.

“OK, Ellen, spill it.  What in the world is wrong with you today?  You’re not yourself at all.  Are you OK?  Is something going on?”

“Nothing that December 26 won’t fix.  Have I told you lately that I hate Christmas?”

“Mmm, only about a dozen times this morning.  Although a few of those times, you said you hated Christmas shopping, as opposed to Christmas.  So, which is it?”

“Both.  Besides, you can’t have one without the other.”

“Well, actually you can.  But I don’t think that’s the issue here.  Are you OK?  Is everything OK at home with you and Rob?   I don’t mean to be nosy and you’re welcome to tell me to mind my own business.”

“Telling you to mind your own business never works.  You know that,” Ellen smiled.

“Only because you’re my best friend and I love you”, replied Callie. “And I can’t bear seeing you unhappy.  So, are you going to answer my question or not?”

“Yes, everything is fine at home.  Rob is great as always, and the kids are excited about Christmas.  I’m the only one playing Scrooge, and I’m frustrated with myself for feeling this way.”

Callie let the silence linger, hoping her friend would continue.  And she did.

“Here’s the thing.  I’m really struggling with Christmas.  I mean, Thanksgiving was fine.  Obviously, we have not gotten used to the fact that Dad is no longer with us, but it was a fun day.  We had the crew over to our house and it was actually very nice.  But then I realized that it was time for Christmas and my heart seemed to sink, and I haven’t been able to snap out of it.”

Silence.

“Callie, I just don’t have any joy in my life.  And to be totally honest, Rob is a little worried too.  And I feel awful about it.  It’s just not fair to him and the kids that I’m being such a Grinch.  And the scary part is that I have no idea why I feel this way.”

“Ellen, it hurts to see you this way, but we’re not going to let this get the better of you.  And, well I know this may sound a little awkward, but would it be all right if we had prayer?”

“You mean here? Now?”

“Yes, but I don’t want it to be weird for you.  And you don’t have to pray.  I just want to pray for you. After all, we’re in the same small group class on Sunday.  And we’ve been studying about living out our faith in the real world.  And trust me, this is hard for me to step outside of my shell and ask this, but I really want to do this.  That is, if you’re OK with it.”

“Uh, sure.  As a matter of fact, I would appreciate it.  Very much.”

With heads bowed, Callie prayed a brief prayer for her friend.  She offered thanks for Ellen’s friendship and asked for joy and peace for her and her family.  She also prayed that she might be a better friend to Ellen.

As they looked, up, Ellen’s eyes were moist.  She walked around the small table and hugged her friend. “Thank you, Callie.”

The two women disposed of their leftover food and wrappers.  The afternoon shopping was a little awkward, but peaceful, with no new complaints or outbursts from Ellen.  As they drove home, they discussed families, jobs and the upcoming Christmas fellowship at their church.  They also agreed to meet again the next Saturday morning for an attempt to wrap up their shopping.  Callie parked the car in Ellen’s driveway and as she opened her door to head inside, Callie gave her a small envelope.

“What’s this?” asked Ellen.

“Just take it, read it, pray about it, and we’ll talk next week.”

Seven days later, Ellen pulled into Callie’s driveway and honked the horn.  Callie frowned at the sound of the blaring horn, assuming it meant another day shopping with an unhappy friend.  She said a quick prayer of forgiveness for her own attitude and asked for strength to be a blessing to her friend that day.  But to her surprise, she stepped into a warm car and was greeted by a smile just as warm.

“Good morning to the dearest friend anyone could ask for,” beamed Ellen.

“Well, uh thank you.  And I can assure you that the feeling is mutual.”

“Callie, I have been looking forward to today and can’t wait to finish up our shopping.”

Callie assured Ellen that she was just as intent on finishing her shopping that day, while at the same time viewing her friend with just a touch of suspicion, waiting for the other shoe of sarcasm to drop.  But it didn’t.  The two decided on a drive-thru for breakfast, where they ordered biscuits and coffee and chatted cheerfully on their drive into town.  It was like old times.  Their first stop was at the local mall.  Ellen found a parking space near the back entrance and put the car in park.  Before turning off the engine, she looked at her friend.

“Callie, thank you for the card.  My first reaction when I opened the envelope was to roll my eyes, but the more I l looked at it, the more doable it seemed and I could actually feel my mood begin to lighten.  By Monday, I was excited, and on Tuesday, I shared it with Rob.  He loved it!  We agreed that this was just what we needed to make our Christmas more meaningful.”

“That’s wonderful!  I have the paperwork in the trunk, along with a few goodies for new members.  I’ll give them to you today and we can sign you guys up.  This is going to be so much fun!”

Ellen wrinkled her nose.  “Sign us up?  Paperwork?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a one page application.  Plus I can get the sign-up fee waived.  I’ll take care of everything.”

Ellen shook her head quickly back and forth as if trying to dislodge the cobwebs and understand her friend.  “Callie, since when is there paperwork involved with spreading Christmas cheer?”

“Christmas cheer? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the card in the envelope.”

“Right, the invitation to sign up for the Buyer’s Discount Club.”

“Uh, no.  I don’t know what a Buyer’s whatever you call it club is. I’m talking about the card that said “How to Be Blessed This Christmas and Bless Those Around You”.

Callie looked at her friend with a blank expression.  Slowly her lips turned upward into a smile, that culminated in a burst of laughter.  Callie laughed uncontrollably for what seemed like minutes, and before long, Ellen was laughing with her.  She just didn’t know what they were laughing about.  Finally, Callie gathered herself enough to speak.

“I gave you the wrong envelope! That is so funny.  I gave you the wrong envelope!”

“Huh?”

“Ellen, I thought I was giving you an invitation to join a discount club and network marketing opportunity that Steve and I are involved in.  Instead, I gave you a card that one of the sweet older ladies at church gave me the Sunday before.  And, sad to say, I never looked at it, so I have no idea what I gave you.  But it seems to have done wonders for you.”

Ellen nodded.  “It did.  It was the best advice I have received in a long time.”

“Well, are you going to tell me what was in my card?  And don’t tell those sweet ladies that I never read it!”

Ellen reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope, which was now worn and stained with rings from a coffee cup.  “Here, take a look.”

Callie pulled the card from the envelope, gazed at it momentarily, and read the title aloud.  “How to Be Blessed This Christmas and Bless Those Around You”.  Her voice trailed off as she continued to read the five points on the card.

1.   Spend time in prayer each and every day thanking God for the miraculous birth of a Savior. No exceptions. No excuses.

2.   Reconcile with someone where the relationship has become strained or distant. If necessary, forgive them. Reach out to them. If it’s someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, call them, mail them a card, or meet them for lunch. No exceptions. No excuses.

3.   Anonymously help someone in need. Contact your church, your children’s school or a local charity. Send them a cash gift, a gift card for dinner at a local restaurant or something else that will brighten their day and help them in life’s journey. No exceptions. No excuses.

4.   Read the Christmas story every day and really focus on what the season is about. No exceptions. No excuses.

5.   Enjoy the common graces that Christmas brings, but emphasize the birth of a Savior and the great example of God’s love for us. No exceptions. No excuses.

“Wow. I had no idea.  That’s really good advice.  Leave it to a group of sweet little old ladies to know what’s really important.  I guess I should have read it first.  Can I have it back?”

“Sure,” laughed Ellen.  I’ve made copies and passed them around to family and friends.”

“Thank you.  Now, let’s get this shopping done.  I may need to pick up a few anonymous gifts and gift cards.  Then we can have lunch.  Where do you want to eat today?”

“How about we go back for a slice of that delicious pizza?”