The True Meaning of Christmas

Evelyn glared out the car window as Dad pulled into the parking lot. It was Christmas Eve, and working at a soup kitchen was not how she wanted to spend the afternoon. She and Mom always baked Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve, and Dad let her help build a fire in the fireplace, and then they'd all watch a Christmas movie together. But her parents decided they needed to start a new tradition this year--serving others in need. Evelyn sighed in frustration. She still had presents to wrap!Evelyn got her serving assignment at the door and dragged her feet as she made her way over to a man stirring a big bowl of mashed potatoes. He smiled when he saw her. "Hi, I'm Doug," he said, and he showed her how to dish out the gravy. Soon the main entrance was opened and people started streaming in. Doug smiled and talked with everyone as he served them potatoes, wishing them a merry Christmas. Evelyn just scooped the gravy, wishing there would be fresh-baked cookies waiting for her when she got home. She was glad when it was finally time to leave. "Evelyn, I can't believe you got to serve food next to Douglas Remington!" Mom said as they got in the car. Evelyn looked at her mom in disbelief. "That was Douglas Remington? The guy who started that huge tech company?"Mom nodded. "He's a Christian, and he helps out at the soup kitchen a lot.""A good example of the meaning of Christmas, don't you think?" said Dad. "Even though Douglas Remington could spend the holidays throwing lavish parties for his family and friends, he serves the hungry at a soup kitchen. Who else left their place of honor to help those in need?""Um…Jesus?" answered Evelyn. "Right!" said Dad. "Jesus left the glory of heaven to become human and die for our sins so we could have eternal life with Him. That's the true meaning of Christmas." When they got home, there were no cookies in the oven, no fire in the fireplace. But Evelyn thought it was the best Christmas Eve she'd ever had. – Courtney Lasater