A Thomas Christmas Story

Of course, my favorite Christmas story is in the Bible about how Jesus was born. It's short to read and long to think about. I like the part where ordinary angels and shepherds get to do the important job of welcoming baby Jesus since, as everybody knows, Jesus isn't the least bit ordinary.
My second favorite Christmas story is in my Aunt Margaret's journal. I like it because the star of the story is her dad, my Grandpa Thomas. He got to do something important one Christmas, even though he was ordinary, too.

That Christmas, my Aunt Margaret was a young girl with freckles and long, red hair as fluffy as yarn. Grandpa Thomas was young in dad years, too.

Back then, the Thomas family didn't have electric lights, but nobody else did, either. Their Christmas tree was decorated with paper chains, strings of popcorn and candleholders that held little candles that were real.

"When can we light the tree?" Margaret and her brothers and sisters asked every night as the family gathered after supper in the parlor. "We can't wait!"

Finally, the long-awaited night arrived. "We were told to stay far back while Dad and Mother lit each little light."

After all the candles had been lit, "everybody 'oh'd and ah'ed' at its beauty." Aunt Margaret began to dance around the tree in excitement. In a sudden burst of energy, she whirled around, and one of the tiny flames caught her beautiful red hair, lighting her head on fire.

Just as suddenly, my ordinary Grandpa rushed to her side. His two big hands came down on her head over and over until the fire was out. Then, he gathered Margaret in his sturdy arms, held her close and wept. Grandma put the candles out on the tree while Grandpa comforted Margaret in the big rocking chair.

That year, Christmas Day came like it always does. It took time for Margaret's beautiful red hair to grow in again and for Grandpa's hands to heal. But that didn't matter. They had plenty of time. A loving father had reached out with love to rescue his daughter, even though she had made a mistake. Just like God did in the Bible when He sent Jesus to rescue all of us from ours. Short to read, but long to think about.