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Our
Christmas gift to you is a poem called "Santa's
Secret Wish."
by Betty Werth.
Merry
Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light
in his eyes looked deep into Santa's, to Santa's
surpnse, And said as he nestled on Santa's broad
knee, "I want your secret. Tell it to me." He
leaned up and whispered in Santa's good ear, "How
do you do it, year after
year?" "I Want to know how, as you travel about,
giving gifts here and there, you never run out. How
is it, dear Santa, that in your pack of toys, you
have plenty for all of the world's girls and boys?
Stays so full, never empties, as you make your way
from rooftop, to homes large and small, from nation
to nation, reaching them all?" And Santa smiled
kindly and said to the boy, "Don't ask me hard
questions. Don't you want a toy?"
But the child shook his
head and Santa could see that he needed to answer.
'Now listen to me " he told the small boy with the
light in his eyes, "My secret will make you sadder,
and wise "The truth is that my sack is magic.
Inside it holds millions of toys for my Christmas
Eve ride, But although I do visit each girl and
each boy, I don't always leave them a gaily wrapped
toy. Some homes are hungry, some homes are sad.
Some
homes are desperate, some homes are bad. Some homes
are broken; and children there grieve. Those homes
I visit, but what should I leave?"
"My sleigh is filled with
the happiest stuff, but for homes where despair
lives, toys aren't enough." So l tiptoe in, kiss
each girl and boy, and pray with them that they'll
be given the joy of the spirit of Christmas, the
spirit that lives in the heart of the dear child
who gets not, but gives.
"If only God hears me and answers my prayer, when
I
visit next year, what I will find there are homes
filled with peace,
and with giving, and love and boys and girls gifted
with light from above.
It's a very hard task, my smart little brother, to
give toys to some, and to give prayers to others.
But the prayers are the best gifts, the best gifts
indeed. For God has a way of meeting each need.
"That's part of the answer. The rest, my dear youth
is that my sack is magic. And that is the truth. In
my sack I carry on Christmas Eve day, more love
than a Santa could e'er give away. The sack never
empties of love, or of joys 'cause inside it are
prayers and hopes. Not just toys. The more that I
give, the fuller it seems. Because giving is my way
of fulfilling dreams. "And do you know someting?
You've got a sack, too. It's as magic as mine, and
it's inside of you. It never gets empty. It's full
from the start . It's the center of light, and of
love. It's your heart. And if on this Christmas you
want to help me, don't be so concerned with the
gifts beneath your tree.
Open that sack called your heart, and share your
joy, your friendship, your wealth your care." The
light in the small boy's eyes was glowing. "Thanks
for the secret. I've got to be going." "Wait,
little boy," said Santa," "don't go, Will you
share? Will you help? Will you use what you know?"
And just for a moment the small boy stood still,
touched his heart with the small hand and
whispered, "I will."
Merry
Christmas to all.
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