Blogmas -- Day 16

Hello, dear friends!  Welcome to Blogmas -- Day 16!  Thank you for visiting today!

Do you have an ornament that is the most special one on the tree?  Maybe it is one that hung on your Grandma's tree, a handmade ornament from your child, or one that was bought on a special vacation?  Maybe your spouse gave you an ornament for your first Christmas together or one in memory of a favorite pet that has passed over the rainbow bridge.  These are the ornaments that tug at your heartstrings...bring you joy...or reminders of a life that you no longer live.  

Do you ever just sit and remember when you look at that ornament?  Recall the love and happiness of that Christmas?  Or maybe it reminds you of how far you've come and how much you have grown.  I have one that I do look at and am reminded of a time when life was hard.  

It isn't really an ornament, at all.  Rather, it is a tiny tree topper.

Back in the early 90's, I found myself divorced and the single Mama of two.  Times were rough.  I worked four jobs just to make sure we had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies...Mainly, my kids.  I had no money for extras but somewhere I came up with a little used 4ft Christmas tree.  My Mama had a string of lights and the kids and I drew pictures for ornaments.  Of course we needed an Angel on top so I scraped together a bit of money and bought this little sweetie.  I don't remember where I got it but probably at a thrift store or garage sale.  I certainly didn't pay full price for it.  The kids loved her and she brought a smile to my face, too.  

I didn't know how I was going to buy presents for my kids.  I was doing good to get the necessities.  I knew I had to get at least one gift for them but how?  We were sitting there, one evening, watching tv or something, when there was a loud knock on the door.  I figured it was my Daddy because he was always popping in...but...why was he knocking?  And at the front door?  He always just walked in the backdoor.  I went and unlocked the door, opened it and started to ask why he was at the front door but before I could, there stood three men and a big...big box shouting, "Merry Christmas!".  I knew the men because it was a small town and well, everybody knew everybody.  I asked if I could help them and they said that they were delivering Christmas.  I told them they must have the wrong house but they insisted it was for us.  Y'all this box was BIG!  Remember the old toilet paper boxes that we used to make forts and playhouses from?  That big!  They pulled the box into the house and turned to leave.  One said, "Merry Christmas from the LIONS!".  I don't know if you know what the LIONS club was but it was like the Kiwanas or other community groups.  I just told them thank you and Merry Christmas.  I locked the door and just stood there.  I looked into that box and there were several gifts for both the kids, wrapped and ready to put under the tree.  Then I looked again...Y'all, there was enough food in that box to last us for a month!  I am being serious.  I even had some to share with my parents because they were my babysitters and were living on a fixed income themselves.  And not junk food, either, although there was a box of cereal and some cookies.  It was good food and even some meat.  

I never knew why or how we ended up with that box because I hadn't signed up for the Angel tree or anything like that.  I had never asked for help...too proud for that.  I would just work extra shifts or do without something to make it.  But whoever the angel was that put us on a list somewhere, I thank God for her/him.  I suspect my own sweet Angel Mama was the one who did but she certainly never said.  She acted surprised too.  Maybe she did, maybe she didn't but whoever did made our Christmas and I am still blessed by that act of love.

I have come a long way from those years.  I am more than blessed and I could have all the fancy ornaments I want and I do have some.  There is a much bigger tree and a very beautiful large Angel shining brightly down on us but the one that is more important than any other is that little Angel tree topper that I now use as an ornament.  She will always have a place on my tree no matter the theme of my decorations, simple or fancy...She has long since quit working but she is still doing what she did back then.  Showing me that there is Hope in Jesus and that good people are still out there.

Do you have an ornament that is a gentle reminder for you?  Tell me about it in the comments!  I would love to hear about it!

Thank you so much for reading this post!  If you made it all the way through, I can't tell you how much that means to me.

Grace & Peace,

Pam