Once upon a time, there were 6 girls who were in India over the holiday season. This was the first time all of them had ever been away from family on Christmas. They did the best they could to embrace where they were at, and keep the holiday spirit alive. They made a Christmas tree out of a book, stockings out of paper, had a digital fireplace (from YouTube), and listened to Christmas music.
As Christmas day approached, they started talking about what they could do on Christmas Day. As they began coming up with some ideas, they all realized that this would be the most different Christmas they’d ever have, yet it could be the most memorable. For the first time in their lives, they weren’t surrounded by the materialism of Christmas, but the true reason for the season. It’s a season of celebration, joy, and the ultimate gift of life. These girls had witnessed the lowest of lows, and the highest of highs throughout India. So, Christmas Day, God told them to out and serve the people right where they were at.
They got up Christmas morning, bought donuts and juice boxes, and followed the path of the Spirit. The girls ran into a group of kids living under tarps, where their pillows came from the trash that surrounded every inch of their space. The 6 girls went walking through with their Santa hats on, and one by one, the kids came sprinting towards them. The girls gave them a Christmas breakfast with donuts, juice boxes, and an exchange of Santa hats. As the kids thanked them with grateful hearts, a few of the girls saw a man holding a child through the neighboring fence.
The 6 girls followed the path that would lead them to him, but when they got there, he was nowhere to be found. However, there was an elderly woman there as if she knew the girls were coming, with an expression of unbelief and gratitude on her face. It was as if she had been praying for them to come her whole life, and when they showed up, she was beside herself.
Before they even gestured to the food or attempted to greet her despite the language barriers, she began to weep. She kept raising her arms to the sky and touching the sides of their cheeks. One by one, the girls handed her pastries and donuts until they emptied the bag into her hands. She was filled with the amazement and appreciation. Of all the things she said that the girls did not understand, there was one word that they did catch onto, which was “pray.” The 6 girls stood beside her and prayed abundant blessings over her. The sweet woman was shaking and weeping as they held her and continued to pray for her. All the girls were extremely touched by this woman and by the way the Spirit used them to bless her. They all said their goodbyes, eyes filled with tears.
Meanwhile, the man that the girls originally saw at the fence, that led them to this woman, disappeared. And by disappear, I mean it’s a one way dirt road, with 2 huts, and they walked to the end of it. But if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t have even gone over there. God sent an angel to the girls to lead them to that woman. Also, the girls almost waited to go out until the afternoon, but one of the girls felt strongly about going out in the morning, and God solidified that with a divine appointment like this one.
This is what Christmas is about, remembering what we are celebrating, and sharing that with the world. It’s not about the presents, or the money spent, or the biggest Christmas tree. Jesus was born today, and what Jesus wanted for his birthday, was for his children to go out on unfamiliar streets and find more of his children to come together in the body of Christ, exchanging his true and all-powerful love. The Lord gives the best gifts, and He desires for us to experience them with him. The girls were reminded today the true “reason for the season” when they looked into the faces of these people they served.
