STANG RED
12-23-2008, 11:12 AM
This is a long story, but well worth the time to read. It certainly makes me want to be a better person.
I just got this in an email from my lovely wife, and wanted to share it with you all, and to wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT...
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never
had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as
all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from
receiving.
It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me
because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so
we could read in the Bible.
After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for
Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much
of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside.
I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though,
I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there
was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset
then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for
no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else
that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging
one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap,
coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something
was up, but I didn't know what.
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched
to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell.
We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins
in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I
was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I
followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had
been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going
to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.
After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of
wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks
and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You
been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road.
Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure,
I'd been by, but so what?
"Yeah," I said, "Why?"
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few
chips. They're out of wood, Mark." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the
woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to
wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the
smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put
them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and
a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes, they're out of
shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile
this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was
doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most
of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we
could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money,
so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had
closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.
We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we
took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice
said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"
Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children
were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off
any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.
"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table.
Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one
pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children - sturdy shoes, the best, shoes
that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears
filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say
something, but it wouldn't come out.
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough
to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I
went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as mu ch as I hate to admit it, there
were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and
their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that
she couldn't speak.
My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas
many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving
the lives of these people.
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them
each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for
a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children
and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."
In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never
thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering
all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I
thought on it.
Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered
how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the
Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the
kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that
they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.
At the do or Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over
for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get
cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice
to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest.
My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you,
I know for certain that He will."
Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had
gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Mark, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been
tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have
quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things
square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into
town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his
feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a
little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa
had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had
given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.
For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and
remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much
more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.
I just got this in an email from my lovely wife, and wanted to share it with you all, and to wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT...
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never
had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as
all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from
receiving.
It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me
because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so
we could read in the Bible.
After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for
Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much
of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside.
I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though,
I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there
was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset
then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for
no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else
that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging
one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap,
coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something
was up, but I didn't know what.
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched
to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell.
We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins
in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I
was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I
followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had
been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going
to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.
After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of
wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks
and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You
been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road.
Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure,
I'd been by, but so what?
"Yeah," I said, "Why?"
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few
chips. They're out of wood, Mark." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the
woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to
wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the
smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put
them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and
a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes, they're out of
shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile
this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was
doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most
of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we
could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money,
so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had
closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.
We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we
took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice
said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"
Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children
were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off
any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.
"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table.
Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one
pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children - sturdy shoes, the best, shoes
that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears
filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say
something, but it wouldn't come out.
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough
to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I
went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as mu ch as I hate to admit it, there
were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and
their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that
she couldn't speak.
My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas
many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving
the lives of these people.
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them
each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for
a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children
and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."
In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never
thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering
all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I
thought on it.
Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered
how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the
Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the
kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that
they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.
At the do or Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over
for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get
cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice
to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest.
My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you,
I know for certain that He will."
Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had
gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Mark, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been
tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have
quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things
square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into
town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his
feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a
little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa
had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had
given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.
For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and
remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much
more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.