THE better gift

taken from the book 365 Moments to Cherish by Robert Strand

"The Better Gift"

During World War II, at the Christmas season, Miss Kathryn Drummond was passing through a small Minnesota town. She observed a Red Cross bloodmobile parked before the schoolhouse and stopped to contribute a pint of blood.


among the workers was a middle-aged handy-man who waited on the nurses by fetching supplies, washing utensils, and so forth. Meeting this man in the hall and assuming him to be the janitor, she commented upon the fine new school building. "No doubt you find it a great improvement over the old one," she said.


He blushed like a freshman but smiled, too. "I'm a stranger here," he said. "I live in Minneapolis and travel around with this unit. You see, I'm too old to fight and too unskilled to help these doctors and nurses in any other way than this. I have great interest in collecting blood for Europe, as all my people are imperiled there."


His light complexion and sensitive features suggested to her that he was Nordic. "Are you from Denmark?" she asked.
"Oh, no," he replied, "I'm a Greek. You know, some Greeks are very fair complected."


The following winter Miss Drummond was in Minneapolis. Friends took her to hear the renowned Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. And when its great conductor stepped to the podium she recognized him at once! He was the handy-man she had mistaken for a school janitor. He was the world famous musician/conductor, Dimitri Mitropoulos!

This story has been shared with you in order to ask this question: What are you going to give this year? There are a lot of things that are impossible for any of us to give... but by the same token there are a number of things we can give.

None of us could give a blind child sight this Christmas, but how about giving a few minutes of companionship? We can't give a father or mother back to a child who may have lost a parent, but we could give interest and a bit of time! It's impossible to restore health a person who may have lost the use of any of their limbs, but how about time spent with them to give purpose and meaning? Have you caught the concept? Let Jesus Christ so fill you with His birthday spirit this year that you will give something of real value, lasting value in His name!

2 Chronicles 7:14 "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. "