Finding the Christmas Spirit
By Mary C. Stock
I used to work at the Church Office Building. I was one of the many who
decorates the visitor centers, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the
Administration Building and Relief Society Building. So the Christmas
spirit always began for me a little earlier than others. Each year as I
would work something would happen that caused me to feel that spirit of
love, giving and especially gratitude for the fact that our Savior was
really born, that He lives, He taught and He suffered for our sins so
they could be atoned. However, my last year working there was different.
It was during the second week of December and the Christmas spirit just
wasn’t there. None of the excitement or reverence I had felt in years
previous. So I began each day trying to do all that I knew would bring
that spirit. I found that an acquaintance was hurting for money, so I
sent anonymously some cash to her. Still the spark did not ignite. I
sang, throughout the day every Christmas song I could think of, even
wrote new ones, still my heart yearned for the feelings I knew to be the
spirit of Christmas. I baked cookies and candies and gave them away.
Still my heart was empty and longing.
One morning, three days before Christmas, I was walking through the
Church Office Building. One of the volunteer hostesses was sitting at
the desk on the main floor and called out to a man walking by her.
“Excuse me sir, I have a message for you.” The man looked startled. How
could there be a message for him? “Let’s see, what was it…,” she
continued… “Oh yes, Merry Christmas.” The man broke into a big grin
and answered her back with happy voice. It had brightened his day! I
watched her for a few moments, every person that walked by she smiled and
sent Christmas greetings their way.
I went over and talked to her. She told me it was her goal, that day,
that not one person pass her without smiling. She was reaching her
goal!!! As I walked away I decided to adopt her goal as my own. This is
easy enough for me, I thought, I am by nature a very happy person who
smiles more often than not. So I began. It was fun. Each person I
passed, I smiled, said Merry Christmas and got a smile from them.
I had an assignment that day in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and
when I had finished it I decided to return to the Office Building by
going across the Square. As I approached the south side of the temple I
saw coming towards me a young woman with red swollen eyes, her chest
heaving from crying. As I began walking her way she turned away from me.
We passed and in my heart I thought “oh dear one person passed without
smiling,” then I realized even more that a sister passed whose heart is
breaking.
Stepping out my comfort zone I turned around and went to her. We sat
below the walls of the temple and talked. It is sometimes so much easier
to pour your heart out to a stranger and she did. I listened, comforted,
encouraged and shared with her some of my feelings and helped her find
again the hope she was missing. When we parted she was smiling and ready
to go serve in the House of the Lord with a prayer of hope and
thanksgiving in her heart.
I left her and realized that glorious spirit of Christmas had flooded
through every inch of my soul. Our Father in Heaven did not send worldly
treasures to save our souls, he did not send cookies and candies or fruit
baskets. He sent His Son!! A Son who gave hope, who healed and loved. He
gave of himself. I discovered that year that when we give all that
Heavenly Father has given to us then we feel the truest love that this
holiday season is all about. Each of us has so many talents or gifts
that need to be shared to bring joy to even strangers. I am grateful for
the gifts of self that I receive, but especially the gift of our Savior’s
birth. What joy that gift gives every day!
