A Special Christmas Gift
Kris, a friend of mine who is also a fishing guide on local lakes, called me the other day and invited me to go crappie fishing with him. That was not unusual. We usually go together a couple of times every winter when his guiding business is slow.
He told me that this time, it would not just be the two of us. We would have two brothers from his church going with us. He needed my help with them and not just with the fishing part of it.
Their father had passed away suddenly a few months ago, and it was still hard on them. With Christmas a few days away, he wanted to make this a special Christmas gift for them.
It was to be a mild December day with temperatures in the 50s. We were glad for the sake of the boys that it wasn’t going to be as cold as it usually is when we go.
As soon as we pulled up in front of their house, they were coming out the door. Their mom thanked us for taking them and kissed them goodbye. We told her it was our Christmas gift to them. A tear ran down her cheek.
As we drove away, I looked back, and Mom was still standing on the porch watching us go. The boys were quiet. I introduced myself to them. Tim was 13 and Jim was 12. They were no rookies to fishing. Tim told us their Dad had taken them fishing many times. They didn’t talk much. There was sadness in their eyes.
As we pulled away from the boat ramp and entered open water, Kris flew across the water to get to his favorite fishing spot. I looked over at the boys. They were holding on to the seat and were smiling.
Kris idled into a cove and started getting all the electronics working. I set the boys up with their fishing rods and made sure they knew how to use them. Kris showed them all the crappie on the screen. Their eyes brightened, and they began to smile. Their eyes got bigger.
Kris helped Tim and showed him where to cast. I did the same with Jim. Soon, they were both reeling in crappie at the same time and laughing. Kris and I looked at each other and smiled. We took lots of pictures for their Mom.
We were done by noon and headed home. When we pulled up to their house, their Mom came out smiling, and Tim and Jim excitedly told her about their morning catching crappie.
Kris and I were invited to a meal of fried crappie. We enjoyed the smiles on all their faces as much as we did the delicious crappie. When it was time to go, they all hugged us and thanked us. We told them we would do it again. As we drove away, Kris and I were both wiping tears from our eyes.
During this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in Christmas decorations and parties. We forget what the real reason for the season is. It is about the gift God gave us of Jesus in a manger long ago.
Giving is an important gesture we shouldn’t overlook. Giving gifts to good friends and family, donations of money to charities, or even your time and compassion to those in need. Like two brothers and their mother who needed a special Christmas gift.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
