I'm one of those lucky people who can look forward each year to two Christmases; one with my foster parents in Modesto , and one with my real mother in Sacramento .

I arrived back in Modesto at 11:30 p.m. Al-though as usual, I'd celebrated Christmas twice, I felt empty and let down. I couldn't understand it. On the two-mile taxi ride from the bus sta-tion the driver was a woman. After a few blocks I asked her how her Christmas had been.

"It gets very lonely, not having any of my fam-ily home for Christmas," she told me, "It's just another day to me."

I didn't know what to say, and I was glad when we pulled up in front of the house. I paid my fare, and she drove off. Everyone was sleep-ing, so I went to bed too. But I couldn't sleep, thinking about the woman who had had no Christmas, while I had had two Christmases, re-ally. Then an idea struck me. "Maybe I can do something to keep her Christmas from being a total loss."

I made a basket of the nice things the family had enjoyed at our Christmas festivities: fruits, homemade candies, cookies, and a piece of homemade pie. Calling the cab-company I asked them to send the woman back, identify-ing her by the number of the cab. When she arrived I paid her the fare for com-ing out.

"Change your mind?" she asked puzzled. "No, ma'am," I told her. Then I handed her the basket and the card I'd enclosed, which said, "This may not make up for not having your family with you at Christmas, but at least you know that someone does care; Someone bigger than you or I." As she read it, I saw glistening tears.

After she left and I went back into the house I realized something. The empty feeling that had bothered me came from just ONE THING, receiving too much at Christmas time and not giving enough. Now that feeling was gone. So that was my greatest Christmas ever, the Christmas I gave! (Luke 6:38).

The complete moral? If giving and sharing will bring cheer and comfort and peace at Christmas time, it will do the same the whole new year.

Have you received too much for Christmas? Well, if you have not accepted God's Gift, you have never received enough for Christmas. Your soul is naked, cold, starved and lost without your crucified and risen Lord, loaded down with bountiful gifts, blessing your heart. Let Him in. He is knocking now.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
(Revelation 3:20)

Oh the joy of sins forgiven,
Oh the bliss the blood-washed know;
Oh the peace akin to Heaven,
Where the healing waters flow.