Fr. Jose Kaimlett Norman Vincent Peale, noted minister and author, tells the story of a young girl from Sweden spending Christmas in big, bustling New York City. She was an exchange student living with a rich American family. She didn’t have much money. She knew she couldn’t get them a suitable Christmas present – besides, they already had so much.
With just a little money in her pocket, she went out and bought an outfit for a small baby, and then she set out on a journey to find the poorest part of town and the poorest baby she could find. At first, she received only strange looks from passersby when she asked them for help. But then a kind stranger, a Salvation Army bell-ringer, guided her to a poor part of town and helped her deliver her gift. On Christmas morning, instead of giving them a wrapped present, she told the family what she had done in their name. Everyone was speechless, and everyone was blessed – the girl for giving, the wealthy family for seeing others with new eyes, and the poor family for receiving an unexpected gift.All of us have opportunities both large and small to show kindness, especially at Christmastime. We can help strangers by delivering gifts to needy kids or serving homeless families at a soup kitchen. Or we can simply look for everyday ways to be kind, like allowing someone to go ahead of us in a lengthy line at the department store, or giving that bell-ringer a little change and a few encouraging words.
Maybe it’s because we’re in a gift-giving mode that giving to others becomes so important at Christmas. Or maybe it’s because two thousand years ago, the earth received the most perfect, most loving gift of all, helping us to understand true kindness.
Whatever the reason, don’t let the Christmas pass you by without showing kindness to someone. It is truly more blessed to give than to receive. Make kindness a habit, and you’ll double your joy as you start 2012.
