What makes Christmas special?

About two months ago at church during Relief Society the Relief Society President mentioned briefly that there were some families in our ward who wouldn't be able to have Christmas and that if anybody wanted to help in anyway to let either her or the bishop know.  I took that to mean that if we thought we could provide a present or two for a child or two that that meant we were good candidates.  And then...I completely forgot about it.  Awesome of me, isn't it?

Eventually I remembered and we (along with some other families) were assigned to a family with four little kids that none of us knew.  We gathered all of the stuff together and today Vidalia, another Mom, and I took it to them.

We had originally intended to leave it for them and have it be anonymous, but none of us knew them and we didn't know when they'd be home or if there were animals or what.  On top of that, the address that we had for them was in the middle of nowhere.  (It ends up the time from any point in Nebraska to the middle of nowhere is no greater than 15 minutes, usually less.)  Of course, we got lost, so that didn't help.  

Eventually we found the address, and some chickens, and a house.  We knocked on the door and we asked them if they were who they indeed were.  We told them that we had something to drop off and then brought all the stuff to the porch.  I could tell by the way the mother looked at us that she was so grateful and a little shocked that anyone would think of them.  About that time, the three year-old walked out onto the porch.  She looked at what we were doing and then said, "Mommy mommy!  Look!  Presents!!!"  She was delighted.  The mother called her husband around to the front porch.  He apparently was in the back using what they had to make presents so that their kids could have something for Christmas.  We only had a few minutes to talk to them, but they were such nice people (and luckily in my ward, so I'm sure I'll get to associate with them again).  Before we left, I had mentioned something about presents that were missing (they had been moved) and told them I'd bring them over later tonight.

On our way back the other Mom told me she had put the "missing" presents in a bag, so they actually had made it there.  When I got home, I called the family and told them that the presents had actually made it and not to expect us tonight.  It ends up they were disappointed we wouldn't be coming tonight.  I told them we'd definitely come another time (if Ryan didn't have home teaching, I might have said we could still come).  Before I hung up, they told me how shocked they were and that they were so grateful.  I look forward to getting to know them better.  Who knows, they might end up being really good friends.

So, today I learned that anonymous is not synonymous to the best way to always do things.  I learned (for the billionth time) that you can serve others by doing very little (in your eyes) and it looks very big in others eyes.  I learned how gracious humility looks.  The gratitude you could see in their faces for what we did was a perfect reflection of humility.  I saw a family who lives a Christ-like life and I found myself wanting my family to be like their family.  I learned (another billionth timer) that Heavenly Father watches over all his children.  The giver and the receiver.  And I learned that the only reason we even participated is because it sounded like a good idea and that perhaps there are much much better reasons.  And my brain has gone crazy thinking of tons of ways we can teach ourselves to give needed service to people for the best reasons all year long and not just at Christmas.  

That being said, it's not really what I am currently pondering on.  I titled this post 'What makes Christmas special?'.  And I have answers too.  I only want to mention two.

Christmas is special because it's a time when people are given an extra opportunity to stop thinking so much about themselves and stop thinking so much about just their family and think about other people, much in the same way Christ thought of all of us through his entire life.  He did so much for everyone.

Christmas is also special because of the great lesson in humility it has to offer.  I've been thinking the last couple hours about how buying a couple presents (our contribution was really not that significant) meant so much to this family.  And it leads me to think of the best gift ever.  The atonement.  And it's given to each of us.  And I know the Savior is humble about his contribution.  He knows the significance and he gives all glory for it to Heavenly Father.  And I think to myself, "Am I grateful for this gift that He has given to me?"  And of course I am.  I really really really am, but do I accept it with a humble heart and use it to its fullest potential?  I'm sure going to try to.

Thanks humble family for going without so that I can receive some of what I lack.  You've probably already done much more for me than I did for you.