"
I
t seems colder than last year," my son,
Jordan, said with a smile.
One Saturday
every December, his Sunday school class
volunteered to man the Salvation Army
kettle in front of our local grocery store.
Jordan and I were assigned the early afternoon shift.
"You're right," I said. "It does seem colder this year."
Jordan and I split the duties evenly. He rang the
bell while I distributed candy canes to all of the
children who passed by.
Everyone was so kind to us. The lady who worked
at the deli counter brought us hot chocolate. People
smiled and wished us a Merry Christmas, whether
they donated any money or not. And one man, when
I thanked him for his donation, said, "No, thank you.
I gave a bit of money, but you're giving your time."
Their kindness made the time fly by, despite
the cold.
Shortly before our replacements were due
to arrive, a young woman and her little boy
stopped by. I smiled and offered the boy a
candy cane. "Merry Christmas," I said.
The woman looked at me, her eyes
full of sadness and defeat. "I'm sorry," she
said, "but I don't have anything to give."
Her words brought an instant lump to
my throat. Just a few short
years ago, I too had uttered
those words. And I'm sure
I had the same look in my
eyes when I said them.
It happened on Christmas
Eve, just four days after my
husband had asked me for a
divorce. His announcement had
been devastating in every sense
of the word. I tried desperately
to maintain a sense of normalcy
for my children's sake. So there I
was, walking into my local discount store, hoping to snag
a few more presents to go under our tree.
I heard the bell long before I spotted the elderly
gentleman ringing it. When he saw me, he smiled
and wished me a Merry Christmas. He couldn't have
known it, but I'd been barely holding onto my composure.
His kindness was my undoing. Tears filled my eyes as
I said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything to give."
At my tears, his smile faded, but he quickly recovered.
"Oh, dear, you've got it all wrong," he said. "We all have
something to give."
"I really don't," I said. "You see, my husband... "
"Not all of us are called to give money," he interrupted.
"Some of us can only offer a smile or a listening ear.
Sometimes a kind word or a hug can go a long way.
And praying for someone is always a gift." He smiled.
"So, even with empty pockets, you always have
something to give."
I nodded. "Thank you, Sir. I'll remember
that."
"I'll be praying for you," he added, "for
whatever troubles you're having."
I smiled through my tears and thanked
him again.
Back in the present, I thought about the hot
chocolate from the deli lady. I remembered the
smiles and the kind words from
everyone who passed by. Their
thoughtfulness had warmed my
heart, despite the near�freezing
temperatures.
I looked in that young
woman's eyes and in true
Salvation Army fashion, I said,
"Oh, dear, you've got it all wrong.
Empty pockets or not, we've all got
something to give."
Diane Stark lives in Brazil, Indiana.
In Focus
............
Something to
Give
by
DIANE STARK
Photo b-d-s/iStock