Late Wednesday night, I was trying to think of something to give my elementary school children for Christmas. Standing on the Christmas isle at the grocery store, I saw was over a hundred feet of neatly wrapped boxes and tins of sugary candy treats. If I were to put one of everything in an extremely large bag it would have been more than a strong man could carry or eat over a year's time. It just didn't make sense to stuff children with candy Santa Clauses, jelly elves, marshmallow reindeer, peppermint candy canes, red and green frosted cookies, and chocolates of every shape and size.
Then I remembered, many of the old time Christmas stories I have hear. They tell about a Christmas orange like those I've heard about from James E. Faust, Little House on the Prairie and other stories. Times were hard and oranges in the winter were a real treat and very hard to come by. Oranges seemed to be a symbol of giving something of value through sacrifice, love and thoughtfulness. With that thought, I hurried off to the produce isle and bought two large bags of Jolly Green Giant's (not related to the other Jolly old fellow) California oranges.
The first three oranges I gave away were to my Kindergarten group. I handed them each an orange and wished them a Merry Christmas.
Jack took his and with a puzzled look on his face examined it carefully in his little hands turning it over numerous times.
Finally, he looked up and asked, "What does it do?"
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Now, I have a Christmas orange story of my own. Thanks Jack! Merry Christmas!!!
3 comments:
I thought that was a joke you'd received and forwarded on to me when I received it as a text.
Now I see it was real! Heehee. That is so funny Dave...and a little sad. I hope you showed him what it did!
That is a lovely gift!
I laughed also and thought it was pretty funny, but then thought how sad he had never had an orange-one of God's great gifts to us. I love how you've blesssed the lives of these children by sharing such a wonderful gift.
Dave - my father grew up in Alaska in the early 1900's. In the winter, the lakes and other water passages, where most food was shipped in, froze over. So, Christmas was pretty sparse. The greatest gift they could get, he said, was an orange. You would have granted his Christmas wish.
Momma Sue
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