Christmas Story!!

this is not a rescue story of anydog or cat or hammie, but a resuce story of a family down on their luck!!! Have kleenex handy!!!





>BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS STORY>>>About a week before Christmas, Mom bought a new nativity scene. When she>unpacked it, she found two figures of the Baby Jesus.>"Someone must have packed this wrong," Mother said, counting out the>figures. "We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three shepherds, >two lambs,>a donkey, a cow, an angel, and two babies. Oh, dear! I suppose some set >down>at the store is missing a Baby Jesus because we have two.>"You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we have an>extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes saying that if >a set>is missing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats, it's freezing>cold out there." The manager of the store copied down Mother's message, >and the>next time we were in the store, we saw the cardboard sign that read, "If y>ou're missing Baby Jesus, call 7126." All week long we waited for someone >to>call. Surely, we thought, someone was missing that important figurine.>Each time the phone rang, Mother would say, "I'll bet that's about Jesus.">But it never was. Father tried to explain there are thousands of these>scattered over the country, and the figurine could be missing from a set >in Florida>or Texas or California. Those packing mistakes happen all the time. He>suggested that she just put the extra Jesus back in the box and forget >about it.>"Put Baby Jesus back in the box?! What a terrible thing to do," said >Mother.>"Surely someone will call. We'll just keep the two of them together in the>manger until someone does." When no call had come by 5:00 on Christmas >Eve,>Mother insisted that Father "just run down to the store" to see if there >were any>sets left. "You can see them right through the window, over on the >counter,">she said. "If they are all gone, I'll know someone is bound to call >tonight.">"Run down to the store?">Father thundered. "It's 15 below zero out there!">"Oh, Daddy, we'll go with you!" We began to put on our coats. Father gave >a>long sigh and headed for the front closet. "I can't believe I'm doing >this,">he muttered. We ran ahead as father reluctantly walked out in the cold. >Tommy>got to the store first and pressed his nose up to the store window. >"They're>all gone, Daddy," he shouted. "Every set must be sold. Hooray! The mystery>will be solved tonight!">Father heard the news still a half block away and immediately turned on >his>heel and headed back home. When we got back into the house, we noticed >that>mother was gone and so was the extra Baby Jesus figurine. "Someone must >have>called, and she went out to deliver the figurine," father reasoned, >pulling>off his boots. "You kids get ready for bed while I wrap mother's present." >Then>the phone rang. Father yelled "answer the phone and tell 'em we found a >home>for Jesus." But it was mother calling with instructions for us to come to>205 Chestnut Street immediately, and bring three blankets, a box of >cookies>and some milk.>"Now what has she gotten us into?" father groaned as we bundled up again.>"205 Chestnut. Why that's across town. Wrap that milk up good in the>Blankets,or it will turn to ice before we get there. Why can't we all>Just get on with Christmas? It's probably 20 below out there now. And the>wind is picking up. Of all the crazy things to do on a night like this.">When we got to the house at 205 Chestnut Street, it was the darkest one on>the block. Only one tiny light burned in the living room, and the moment >we>set foot on the porch steps, mother opened the door and shouted, "They're >here!>Oh thank God you got here, Ray! You kids take those blankets into the >living>room and wrap up the little ones on the couch. I'll take the milk and>cookies.">"Would you mind telling me what is going on, Ethel?" father asked. "We>Have just walked through below zero weather with the wind in our faces all>the way." "Never mind all that now," mother interrupted. "There is no heat >in>this house, and this young mother is so upset, she doesn't know what to >do.>Her husband walked out on her, and those poor little children will have a>very bleak Christmas, so don't you complain. I told her you could fix that >oil>furnace in a jiffy.">My mother strode off to the kitchen to warm the milk while my brother and >I>wrapped up the five little children who were huddled together on the >couch.>The children's mother explained to my father that her husb and had run >off,>taking bedding, clothing, and almost every piece of furniture, but she had >been>doing all right until the furnace broke down.>"I been doin' washin'an ironin' for people and cleanin' the five and >dime,">she said. "I saw your number every day there, on those boxes on the >counter.>When the furnace went out, that number kept goin' through my mind. 7162.>Said on the box that if a person was missin' Jesus, theyshould call you. >That's>how I knew you were good Christian people, willin' to help folks. I >figured>that maybe you would help me, too. So I stopped at the grocery store >tonight,>and I called your missus. I'm not missin' Jesus, mister, because I sure >love>the Lord. But I am miss in' heat. I have no money to fix that furnace.">"Okay, okay," said Father. "You've come to the right place. Now let's see.>You've got a little oil burner over there in the dining room. Shouldn't >be>too hard to fix. Probably just a clogged flue. I'll look it over, see what >it>needs.">Mother came into the living room carrying a plate of cookies and warm >milk.>As she set the cups down on the coffee table, I noticed the figure of Baby>Jesus lying in the center of the table. It was the only sign of Christmas >in>the house. The children stared wide-eyed with wonder at the plate of >cookies>my mother set before them.>Father finally got the oil burner working but said, "You need more oil. >I'll>make a few calls tonight and get some oil. Yes sir, you came to the right>place." Father grinned.>On the way home, Father did not complain about the cold weather and had>barely set foot insid e the door when he was on the phone. "Ed, hey, how >are ya,>Ed? Yes, Merry Christmas to you, too. Say Ed, we have kind of an unusual>situation here. I know you've got that pickup truck. Do you still have >some oil>in that barrel on your truck? You do?" By this time the rest of the family >was>pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of their shelves. It was>long after our bedtime when we were wrapping gifts. The pickup came. On >it>were chairs, three lamps, blankets and gifts. Even though it was 30 >below,>father let us ride along in the back of the truck. No one ever did call >about>the missing figure in the nativity set, but as I grow older I realize that >it>wasn't a packing mistake at all. Jesus saves, that's what He does.>Author Unknown -- Sorry I Can't Send You A Tissue Merry Christmas to you>all and God Bless you one and all.

b safe,
;)lacylulu and mama....