A Brother Like That

Here is Hubby's favorite Christmas story. He is a brother like that, so are his two sons.

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A Brother Like That
Author Unknown

Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded.

"You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy,
I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

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Our family has been blessed this year. We have enough of everything. We have tried so hard to think of gifts for each other, but no one really wants anything! We have everything we need.

There are a few little gifts under the tree. But nothing much. We are looking forward to speaking with our son whom we haven't seen for two year (he has been in Mexico). We will see him in January when he comes home. Perhaps on the 26th we will drive into the city to see the lights and spend some time together.

Spunky will be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She and Carpenter don't have children and she wants the other nurses to have the chance to be with their families on Christmas. She does this every year. She always takes Thanksgiving off because she likes spending time with her family--but she says that Christmas is a magical day when you have children and she wants her co-workers to have the chance to be there.

It will be a quiet Christmas. I am sure I will be spending the time reflecting on the Great Gift that was given to us by our Heavenly Father, His Only Begotten Son. How precious is that thought. How sublime and awe-inspiring is that one Gift, nothing else can compare.