This close to Christmas the mall was full of children. But none were the one I wanted to see. Everett, my grandson, lived in Japan with my daughter Autumn and her husband. How I wished I could be with him Christmas morning. I knew his parents had planned a special holiday, but I wanted to be there myself to make sure it was perfect. Lord, let him have a magical Christmas.
I passed the “angel tree” at the end of the main mall corridor. Dozens of paper angels held the name of a child and a gift request. I pulled one off the tree. A one-year-old wanted a bath toy. I headed to the toy store to pick one up. If I can’t make Everett’s Christmas perfect, at least I can help this child, I thought.
But when I got to the toy store it was locked and empty. Turned out it had moved clear across town. I tried store after store in the mall. No bath toys. Feet aching, I went to one last store. I scoured the toy aisles. A mother pushed a cart past me. A curly-haired girl in a pink coat rode in the basket. The little girl giggled at me, then raised her arm and pointed. I automatically followed her gaze to a whole section of bath toys! Rubber duckies, a Noah’s ark, soft blue fish…
I took a handful to the checkout, sure the child on the angel tree would have a magical Christmas. What’s more, I knew Everett’s Christmas would be just as magical. If God sent me an angel in a department store to make one child’s dream come true, surely he’d send angels to Japan to bring joy to Everett. Angels were everywhere children were. It wouldn’t be Christmas without either of them.
Read more stories about heavenly angels and angels on earth.
