For months people had been giving to me while I struggled with cancer.  But it was hard to be in a holiday mood when I had nothing to give others — no gifts, not even my time.  I felt useless and angry.  I was used to being a giver, not a taker.

I decided to go see a holiday production, hoping it would get me into the Christmas spirit.  During intermission, I won a voucher for a Christian summer camp for teens.  It was as useless to me as I felt to the rest of the world.  As the usher handed me the voucher, I suddenly felt the need to turn around.  Behind me sat a mom speaking to her teenaged daughter about the camp prize.  “Don’t give up.  Look how close you came to winning,” the mom said pointing at me.  

“Merry Christmas!” I said, handing over the prize.  Tears ran down both their faces, and the daughter thanked me repeatedly.  It turns out that for years she had prayed to attend camp.  I had also prayed to be a giver again.  What a sign of God’s greatness and love!  That night, I went home and put up some Christmas lights while the spirit of Christmas shone brightly within me.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for answering prayer and providing us with opportunities to give to others. Amen.