A Simple Surprise Left a Lasting Impression

Living with a progressive eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, coupled with being a pastor’s wife, meant practicing stress relief and good organization during the holiday season. Having others do the majority of my shopping and utilizing gift bags was a life saver.

If something was hard, I had a tendency to take it on and face the challenge more often than not. 2009 proved to be one of those times.

Earlier that year, my husband and I co-founded Word in Action Ministries to stretch people’s money by providing free hot meals every weeknight. We had just pulled off feeding almost 200 Thanksgiving meals and wanted to do something special for Christmas.

We decided to do a special dinner with decorations and a Christmas program, giving our special guests the opportunity to dress up, feel special, and hear the Christmas story.

A week before this event, my thirteen-year-old daughter ran up to me after wiping the last table. Bouncing, she drew in a short breath, as if in anticipation, before asking, “Can we buy Christmas presents for everyone? Please, please, please,”

By then, I imagined her head tilted, brown eyes open wide in anticipation. In my heart I knew she had no idea how hard of a task, nor expense, this would be. Thankfully, my not wanting to squelch an opportunity for my child to show compassion, won.

Great idea,” I said enthusiastically, wrapping my arms around her.

The obstacles were we only had one week, little to no funds, and no volunteers available until that night. When God is in control, though, He makes a way. I went into planning mode and called our oldest daughter. I made suggestions for gifts in various categories and she hunted for the best bargains.

In less than three days we had candy, gloves, hygiene items, and a nice glass frame exhibiting a Christian poem. Next, we needed to find a box to put them in. The same daughter found the perfect container in the church storage.  My entire family created an assembly line to fill 25 containers, but we had no paper.

Everyone else had other tasks, leaving me in charge of the gifts. I wrap as slow as molasses is poured, so knew wrapping wasn’t an option. I thought, A bow perhaps.

A volunteer, named Robin, persuaded me how important wrapping was, and sealed the deal by offering to do it for me.

The Celebration

Appreciative people – some homeless, some on SSI, some elderly, and some families with extenuating circumstances, had finished their meals and listened to a few Christmas carols and the reading of Luke 2.

Gifts were then passed out by our teenage daughter, while I sat on a bench against the wall to observe with my ears mostly.

At a table’s end near me, a young man’s voice boomed above the others, as he shared to someone nearby how he hadn’t had a present to open in six years. Giggles, squeals, along with paper tearing tore my attention away, but not before tears began pooling in the corner of my eyes.

As the majority departed, someone announced Teresa hadn’t opened her gift yet, so I inquired. Her eyes remained fixated on her gift in front of her. A long pause ensued. As her fingers gently pressed the tape in its original position, a soft voice emerged. “My husband couldn’t come tonight. I want to take this home and let him open it. It will be the only present we have to open this Christmas.”

Holding back to hide the shock took every ounce of energy I possessed. These people weren’t homeless. Some had jobs, but most were on disability and had no family. It was one segment of society I hadn’t realized were overlooked at Christmas time.

The simple surprise of a wrapped gift impacted several that night . . . especially me and my family. This memory replayed over and over for an additional reason. You see, the young man mentioned, died in an accident that summer. And the woman, passed in October from a colon condition. Neither would have another Christmas.

One never knows how showing kindness by giving a small surprise might impact someone. Nor do you know when it might be the last opportunity you have to give it. May this lesson leave an impression on you as well.

© 2023, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.