In World War II a soldier was on duty on Christmas morning. I had been his custom to go to church every Christmas morning with his family, but now, in service on the outlying districts of London, this was impossible. So, with some of his soldier buddies, as dawn was breaking, he walked down the road that led to the city.

Soon they came upon an old, gray stone building over whose main door were carved the words, Queen Ann's Orphanage. They decided to knock and see what kind of celebration was taking place inside. In response to their knock, a matron cam and explained that the children were orphans whose parents had been killed in one of the many bombings that took place in London. The soldiers went inside just as the children were tumbling out of bed. There was no Christmas tree in the corner. There were no presents. The soldiers moved around the room wishing the children Merry Christmas and giving them whatever gifts they had in their pockets: a stick of gum, a Life Saver, a nickel, a dime, a pencil, a pocket knife, a good luck charm.

The soldier who had gotten his buddies together noticed a little fellow alone in the corner, that little fellow looked an awful lot like his nephew back home. So he approached him and said, and you, little guy, what do you want for Christmas? The lad replied, Will you hold me? The soldier, with tears brimming in his eyes, picked up the little boy and held him very close in his arms.

As we hurry through the coming season, let us stop and remember that the important message of Christmas is not the presents, or the decorations, or the Norman Rockwell image we all hold in our minds. The importance of Christmas is that God came to earth to embrace us in Gods love. And we in turn are to share that love.

Have a wonderful Christmas