News
Anonymous Gifts - A Story
It was December, just twenty shopping days until Christmas. A young couple with two small boys dreaded the approaching holiday season. They were already having trouble making ends meet, so buying the expensive toys their sons wanted would be impossible.
Then, just a week before Christmas, halfway to work, the man had a flat tire. He called his wife to say he tried to put on the spare, but it was flat too. Just a few blocks from work, he decided he would leave the car in a parking lot and walk the rest of the way. They agreed she would pick him up at the end of his shift. Late that night, she carried the sleepy boys to her car and drove out into darkness. With Christmas carols playing on the radio and the burden of their finances on her heart, hot tears ran down her face. When her husband got in the car, he too looked exhausted by their dilemma. As they drove home, they held hands in silence.
The next morning, when they arrived at the parking lot to get the tire fixed, there was an envelope under the windshield wiper of the car. Inside was a hundred dollar bill with a note: Just in case you need a new tire. Stunned, they looked around to see who might have left the money, but the parking lot was deserted. The tire turned out to be easily patched, and they used the money to buy groceries and two small gifts to put under their Christmas tree for their young sons.
Years later, when the boys were older and finances better, each Christmas, they told the story of that flat tire as a reminder of the blessing of generosity and kindness of a stranger. And every Christmas, they tried to follow that example by helping someone without letting them know who they were. It became their family's favorite tradition.
Who can you bless with an anonymous gift this holiday season!?
