December

It was a cold winter night but the fire next to my chair burned bright and warm. There were several hundred children and their families lined up to visit with “the big guy.” The atmosphere was one of happiness as they enjoyed the hot chocolate and cookies provided for them. As each child came forward I would focus on them individually, all the while monitoring the line to gauge how the crowd was feeling. I noticed a young girl off to the side of the line, patiently watching me while munching on a cookie - sometimes she would edge up close to my chair, sometimes retreating, as if trying to make up her mind. Finally seizing an opportunity – between visits – she ran up to me and handed me a piece of paper that had been carefully folded to about the size of a quarter; “this is for you” she said and ran away. Without thinking I slipped the paper into the sleeve of my coat and greeted the next group of children. Much later that evening as we were preparing to leave I reached into my sleeve and pulled out the paper. I expected to find a letter containing the usual types of requests. It was a letter alright, but it changed my life:

Dear Santa, 

Most kids would ask for toys and dolls. But for Christmas I would like My Parents not to fight for a week. Not saying mean things to each other and not yelling either, if you can’t get me that I guess I would like nothing this year then. But I will still believe! I love you, you are the best in the world. I hope you fly safe this year.

LOVE, Abbey M. 

P.S. Thank you for all you do. I LOVE YOU!!!

As I read this I wept, I wept for this missed opportunity to give this girl a hug and let her know that she is loved, I wept for pain and misery that was her home life, but most of all I wept in gratitude and not a small amount of self-chastisement that an eleven year old girl that had suffered as she surely had, showed so much faith and belief that good and joy still exist in the world.

Brothers and Sisters, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior let us not forget that the reason we celebrate is because through Him and His Atonement we are given the opportunity to become like him and live with him in His Love.

We all know the way to do this is to act as He would, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle that we don’t really see people as He did. Look around, there are Abbeys all around us – often they are silent and invisible to our busy vision but they are there. They are your neighbors, your friends, people you see on the freeway, standing in the grocery checkout line – everyone is fighting some sort of battle. We all need a helping hand. Sometimes just a smile, sometimes a listening ear, sometimes something more. If we look for and recognize the divine nature in those around us we will know what to do and we will be inspired, I promise this is true. As you have read this you have thought of someone. May you all find the Christmas spirit through service and love to others is my prayer and blessing to you.

I love you all, 
Eric Bell

📒See the full PDF of Grapevine here. 

📣Listen to sacrament meeting audio here.