Usually when shopping for others I always have the urge to get them the most perfect thing in the whole wide world. This year for Christmas though, I have to be the "cheap spender". So today while I was shopping at the D.I. (Deseret Industries for those of you who don't know what D.I. stands for, it's a thrift store) for stuff I could use as gifts for my friends. I was just looking up and down aisles for the perfect items because like any other thrift store you don't know what to find, but I had my hopes high.
While browsing through the jars and other breakable items section a young girl, probably just a couple years younger than me approached me. She was a little shorter than me, which is hard to pass, and had long blonde hair, flawless white skin, and pretty brown eyes. She was looked almost angelic.
She stuck her hand out to me saying "Merry Christmas!" with a sincere tone and smile handing over some card. I only thought it was some discount coupon, or some weird rave invitation that I have been getting a lot of lately on my car.
Anyway I was caught off guard and could only say an awkward "thanks..?" in confusion. She then turned quickly and walked off toward a women who must have been her mother, not really sure though. I then returned my focus to what was in my hands; a twenty dollar gift card to Wal-Mart.
My thought process goes as follows:
"OH MY GOSH!?"
"What the heck!"
"Is this really 20 bucks?!"
"ahahahaha!" (overextended hyperventilation in my mind)
"...uh wait come back!"
"Do I return it?"
"What the freak just happened!"
My initial second phase thought was that I must have look like a bum! Why on earth would someone give me twenty bucks? I had just been at the gym, so I was still in my sweats, I hadn't yet showered so I probably smelled and looked gross, and tired after a late night with friends and an early start to a busy day. I thought that this blondy must have out of the kindness of her heart must have come in and looked at the first rugged down person to give them a gift of the utmost charity. When you look like a bum, you will be treated as a bum.
Yes, I was very thankful and happy for her, but that lasted probably only for a good millisecond. I mean it would make things become easier for me; I wouldn't be as much into Christmas shopping debt as I am, and I could get the people I love things that were even better than what I was going to get them. But right then and there I realized, what are angels for? Here I am, a young, healthy, boy who lives in a nice home, has a loving family, nice clothes, a good car, great friends, and all the other bare essentials and such one needs. So what was this angel for?
A dictionary defines an angel as a messenger, who performs a mission sent by God. So I figured that this angel came to me to teach me something. I knew that I could not keep the generous gift. As much as it would benefit me, I was sure it would benefit someone else even more.
After exiting the store, in the parking lot I stood there looking over everyone coming in and coming out, determining who to give the generous gift to. There were those who were together or alone, but were still relatively good this season. Those who I could tell were just great this season with big smiles on their faces as they drove in their shiny Mercedes Benz. And those who looked like once they got 20 bucks they'd throw it away for beer and more cigarettes. Then I saw an elderly couple, who were just getting out of an old pick up truck, with expressions of sorrow on their faces. And they were the ones.
I went up to their car, trying to handle the situation as best as the angel did with me, but of course when I had come face to face with these people saying, "Merry Christmas" my voice cracked. I hurried and handed them the gift and the man not really knowing what was going on, just like me, laughed at me and gave a "Merry Christmas" back. I then turned away walked to my car as quickly as possible, trying not to make it look like we just exchanged drugs.
But without even helping it, I smiled, and on the rest of the drive back home I couldn't stop. A tear even came to my eye, and I just was so happy. So yeah, this holiday season has been magical. I'm simply having a wonderful Christmas time. :)
Merry Christmas
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