My "Christmas Shoes" Story

Miracles...they happen everyday. They are great reminders of the beauty of life and the beauty of the human soul. And when you get to experience it yourself, you are never the same. It leaves a mark engraved in your heart and a memory ingrained in your mind. Miracles allow you to have a glimpse of heaven and let you know that there is Someone up above maneuvering for these miracles to happen.

I had my own share of a small miracle last week which made me feel the love of a loving  God. It has brought a different meaning to Christmas and made this year an unforgettable one. Prior to experiencing this miracle, I stumbled upon a very touching Christmas video which left me crying my eyes out and insipired me to do something for others.



A couple of weeks ago, I got tickets to the Christmas concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with David Archuleta as their guest performer. I had already saved a couple of tickets for my friend and her date and  I was saving another one for my "potential date".

One day while at work, I got curious  about how many people were selling tickets to the concert because it created quite a stir and even made it in the news when some people sold their tickets to the concert which were given for free.  I was surprised by how much the tickets were going for  but one ad caught my attention wanting to buy two tickets for $100 each.  I thought to myself, "Wow, I could make two hundred dollars for two of my tickets and I could send that money to my family for Christmas."

My demeanor totally changed after reading the entire ad which was posted by a mother who was looking  to buy tickets for her daughter who is handicapped and apparently a big fan of David Archuleta. My heart went out to this girl and thought it would be absolutely wrong if I sold the tickets.  I found myself in a dilemma of whether  I would sell them or not... trying to make sense of the next move I would make. So I called up a couple of my friends to ask for their opinion.

One friend told me that they must be pretty well-off to be able to afford buying the tickets for that price.  I also found out that she already invited a guy to go with me to the concert and was just waiting for his reply.  At that moment, getting a date was the least of my worries.  All I cared about was whether to just give the tickets away or sell them. But she only advised me to sleep on it and decide the next day.

The following day, I checked online to see if there were tickets that were being given away by others so I could help the mother find tickets for her daughter since I was still unsure about my decision. I was skimming through the ads when I found one giving away tickets for the concert.  I forwarded the ad to the mother hoping that she'd be able to get the tickets  but I've indicated in the email to let me know if she's not able to contact the person because I was just going to give up a couple of mine.  I was surprised with that decision because it came automatically and without  hesitation. And it made me feel good.

I got a response from her that night and below are the email exchanges that we had after I sent her the first email.

Thanks so much for the info.  I found the ad last night and I tried to call the phone number that was listed.  It didn't work, so I assume that the tickets are gone.  Thanks for for taking the time to send this to me.  My daughter has Cerebral Palsy and I was going to go stand in line one of the nights to see if I could get her in (would hope that there is a place they will let her sit inside while I wait). She followed David on American Idol and just loves his voice.  Anyway, if you decide that you have a couple extra tickets let me know.  They would be appreciated.  I tried with many addresses this year...no luck. 

Thanks again! 

Lisa and Brittany  

Hi Lisa,

I actually contacted the person for you too but to no avail. I was supposed to only have one extra ticket and since I won't have a date that night, I was thinking your daughter could take it but she most probably would need you there.  I would love to give you a couple of my tickets.

At first I thought if you were going to buy the tickets, I could send that money to my family for Christmas but it would be wrong if I sell them.

So let me know how I could give them to you.

Sincerely,
Dinah

Oh WOW...I am at a loss for words right now! How very, very kind of you to share your tickets with us.  I just got home from work and got your message.  Brittany is so excited.  She just squealed with delight. I didn't tell her anything until tonight because I didn't want to get her hopes up.

Are you sure you can share 2 of them?  My husband has been out of work for a long time and we have limited funds this year...but we decided that this memory for Brittany was more important than any other gift that any of us would want...that's why I was trying to buy them for her.  I tried every other way to get these for her but never got any response.  So, we decided to offer what Christmas money we had so she could go.  I believe we have 2 miracles this year.  I don't know what to say or how to thank you for being so generous. 

I would be very willing to come meet you somewhere to pick up the tickets if that works for you.  We live in the south Sandy area.  I am a care giver for an older lady in Draper. Do you live or work anywhere near those areas? I can come before work or after work to where ever you want to meet. 

Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

Lisa 

Hi Lisa,

I'm sorry for not promptly replying. Your email made me cry.  I can just imagine the joy that Brittany felt when she found out that she gets to go to the concert. 

I have experienced my own miracle a couple of days ago and I know it was because of my decision to give up a couple of my tickets.  I did not expect to receive anything from doing something nice to others but I know God's hands were over this.

I can give you the tickets on Tuesday night but I would like to ask a favor.  I would love to meet Brittany if that's okay.  I live in Sandy so there shouldn't be a problem meeting up. I live around 110th and 7th East. I could give you the tickets after 6pm. So just let me know.

Dinah

Last Friday, our company had its Christmas party and I went without any expectation of winning a prize or getting something special.  But to my surprise, my name was the very first one that got picked to win a prize. My heart was filled with glee as I ran to the stage to get my prize. I have yet to recover from it when another surprise came. One of the founders announced that all the employees would receive a Kindle. I almost jumped for joy because I was planning on buying one as a Christmas gift to myself.  Towards the end of the party,  the biggest surprise was announced that the employees will be getting $300 cash as a gift.  


My jubilance was hard to conceal when it dawned on me that it was a lot more than what I could have gotten if I sold the tickets. My heart was pounding and I felt nothing but great elation not because of the material things I got but more so because of the great spiritual blessing I received. It may just be plain coincidence or serendipity but I know Heavenly Father was showing me that good deeds don't go unnoticed. And even without the blessings I received, I would still be grateful for I was able to share something that was special. That is the true meaning of Christmas and that is my "Christmas Shoes" story. 


"The small deeds we do for others can be the greatest gift they could ever have.  Let us not deprive them of that if we have the capability to make it happen because in the process, it is us who are getting more out of it.  There is a simple and pure satisfaction that comes from it which money cannot buy." -Dinah-

Something About Christmas Time

It's that time again of the year when people seem to be always happy and feel generous.  It is a time when people are giving and forgiving.  A time when people feel like singing to their heart's content and smiling even at strangers. It is amazing that people even feel guilty when they're not being nice and no one cannot seem to manage not to be because it is almost like a crime if you aren't during this season.

I can even recall an incident when a friend of mine got so upset with  a bank teller that she wanted to talk to the manager and get him fired but because Christmas is coming up, she decided not to and just let it go. This is what the spirit of Christmas brings--it's powerful and it's magical.

 One thing I noticed though is that some people seem to automatically revert back to their "not-so-nice" selves after the holiday season is over. Smiles are hardly given and are instead replaced with either blank expression on their face or even a frowning one. I am not sure if people are just in denial about their problems during the holidays or Christmas just brings out the best in everyone. If it's the latter, I could only wish that everyday is Christmas so the world we live in is a better place. Unfortunately, that would only remain a wish. I am just grateful that we have this season each year to enjoy the spirit of Christmas which is the spirit of love.

Lately, I have been thinking about how I'm going to celebrate it this year and whether it's going to be different from the previous Christmases I had  without presents from family and not even a greeting card.  It saddened me at the beginning but I have gotten used to it. It doesn't look like it's going to change this year but I can change my attitude towards it because in reality, it is about celebrating the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ and not about me and definitely not about getting presents.

He should be the one receiving presents. Presents that cannot be bought from the store but can be acquired by following His teachings.  When I think of  the kind of presents I can give Him, I think of the beatitudes that He pronounced during the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:3-5). The beatitudes of being meek, being compassionate, being humble, being pure in heart, being a peacemaker, being a seeker of righteousness and being a true disciple of Christ.

I certainly am not better than others and it maybe remotely possible to be like Him because I am an imperfect soul  but I can try to be like Him.  I can try to reflect the life He lived and the kind of character He had.  I just have to take it one day at a time, a step at a time. I believe it is the best gift I can give not only to my Savior but to myself as well.  A gift that does not cost money  but the most rewarding one.  And if that is the case, I should be able to afford to give this gift all the time and it will be like celebrating Christmas all year round.



"Let us gather Christlike attributes throughout the year and offer them to our Savior on the day of His birth as our gift to Him.'-Dinah-