For Mark and Libby Thompson, the Fall had been anything but normal. Sure, the Fall temperatures had gradually become cooler, the leaves had turned brilliant colors, and many had fallen softly in the yard. On the weekends, far away sounds were heard each Friday night when the local High School team was playing a home game. And because it was Fall, there had been several Festivals that had filled the downtown streets with “pumpkin spice drinking” visitors. But the usual Fall family routine of the household had been disrupted by a literal “fall.” One afternoon, Libby slipped on some wet leaves on the driveway as she made her way out to the mailbox. She came crashing down onto the hard surface. Unable to even stand, she called Mark from her cell phone with the classic line, “Help, I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” She quickly explained the situation as she sat on the cold concrete.
Mark was making his way home from work and was fortunate to be only a few blocks away when he received her call. Upon arriving home, he feared that maybe she was hurt more than they suspected. Tears streamed down her face, her hand was scraped, and her pants were torn. He tried to help her to her feet, but it became a futile effort. They decided to call an ambulance for assistance and to get her to the local hospital for x-rays. The good news was that no bones were broken. The bad news was that she had a bruised hip, a sprained wrist, and torn ligaments in her right ankle. In other words, she was down for the count. With a pair of crutches, a bottle of painkillers, a pressure wrap or two, and strict instructions to stay home and stay off her feet for two weeks, Mark and Libby limped their way to the car and drove home. It took a couple of days and nights to get used to Libby’s new routine of staying mostly in bed or in the recliner in front of the fireplace.
Libby was a good patient, did what the doctor had ordered, but she was not one bit happy about her situation. With one week to go before Christmas, she was frustrated with all the things still left undone and the growing list of details to address before Christmas morning. She felt sorry for Mark, knowing that he would have a lot of chores to tackle. She would be limited to barely shuffling around the house on her very tender, sore, black and blue ankle. The pain was manageable, but it was certain she would be off her feet well beyond Christmas morning. The longer she sat, the more she thought. And the longer she thought, the longer the “to do” list became. There were packages left to wrap, errands to run, a tree to decorate, and a grocery list a mile long.
Mark continued to tell her that he was up for the challenge. He would make it all happen. He could do all the things on the list, or so he told her. “Not to worry, I will take care of everything,” he repeatedly said. But in his mind, he wondered if Christmas might be a little less than “glorious” this year. Each evening when he arrived home from work, he attempted to get a few things done on the list. After supper, he would tackle one or two tasks. The tree got decorated and the empty ornament boxes were put away in the garage. He got the outside lights hung and the yard raked. He cleaned and mopped and swept and had the house in “presentable” shape. He found boxes and gift sacks for all the Amazon gifts that continued to arrive at the front porch. He kept up with the laundry… although folding was never one of his strengths. Together they worked on the grocery store list of things to purchase for their Christmas dinner. And yet, still there was much to do. His Christmas break finally arrived on the calendar at work with just a couple of days to “relax” before Christmas morn.
Mark set an early alarm on the morning of December 23rd. This was going to be the first and maybe only day he had to whittle down the long list of errands to run. He awakened around 6:30 a.m. and offered his usual morning prayers. After praying for his wife and their grown son and his family (who were away in Montana snow skiing during the holidays), he prayed his usual prayer that he prayed each morning. It was a prayer that he had prayed hundreds of times. It was one of those general catch-all kinds of prayers. “Father, help me to be your representative this day. May I see the needs of those I encounter, may I hear the voices of the troubled, and may I speak words of hope to those who are desperate. Make me generous, patient, and kind.” It’s the kind of prayer we might all pray… maybe without even thinking of the words we speak, or the demands such an answered prayer might make of us. It’s the kind of prayer we pray thoughtlessly, and perhaps devoid of any real passion. Mark offered his prayer, not knowing that it had been heard by the Father, and on this day, it would be answered.
He helped Libby get up and ready for the day. He eased her into the recliner with a hot breakfast of good coffee, tasty, scrambled eggs, and a couple of slices of jellied toast. She took her time with her meal, but Mark scarfed his down like a man on a mission. As soon as the kitchen was cleaned and the dishes deposited in the dishwasher, he grabbed his coat, put on his favorite ball cap, and took one last sip of coffee… ready to take on the list. The list included: picking up the ham from the Honey Baked Ham store, grabbing his clean shirts from the laundry, taking packages to the mall to have them gift wrapped by members of a church group who were raising money for missions, a trip to Sam’s to pick up a large poinsettia and some batteries, taking some coats to church for the annual coat drive, dropping off the Christmas cards at the post office – yes, he knew he was supposed to mail them last week, but it got lost in the wackiness the season – and then, of course, he would finish the day with a trip to the grocery store. It was a lot. But he was determined to finish up by early afternoon.
It was spitting snow when he stepped out onto his front porch and made his way to the car. He put a cooler in the trunk to keep the ham cold in case the day got long. The back seat was full of packages, coats, and two boxes of Christmas cards. The weather man had promised that it was only going to produce a light dusting and would clear by noon. He hoped that for once, the weather man would be right. He noticed a few slick spots on the neighborhood streets but found the main road into town all but dry. The threat of bad weather certainly did not lessen the number of cars on the road. Traffic was horrible all over town as people scrambled for those last-minute gifts and other holiday items. Parking lots were full and stores were crowded. Mark told himself that it was just going to be one of those days when you have to make up your mind to be patient and go with the flow.
He made a quick dash to the Post Office. Getting the cards in the mail was only going to take a moment. It was mailing the packages that would eat up a lot of time. The line was out the door with people waiting to get things sent to loved ones who lived far away. What Mark thought would take him about 15 minutes, ended up taking nearly an hour. Once back in the car, Mark quickly made his way to church and dropped off the coats. He felt good about his progress as he made his way to Sam’s Club. He had to drive around the parking lot three times just to find a place to park. The poinsettias had been picked over, but still he found a nice, big, red one that would surely perk-up with a couple of days of love and care. And luckily, there was a big display of batteries near the front of the store and he stocked up with every size imaginable. He didn’t even know if he would need batteries on Christmas morning, but he wasn’t going to be caught empty handed. (It’s a guy thing…)
The next item on the list was a stop at the local dry cleaners. Ever since his fraternity days, Mark had insisted on having his dress shirts pressed and starched. So, every couple of weeks, he made his way over to Park’s Dry Cleaning & Laundry to drop off or pick up a few of his shirts. He had known Sam Park for a long time. Through the years the two men had exchanged a lot of stories at the counter of the dry cleaners. Mr. Park was a fellow member of the Rotary Club and often Mark and Sam shared a table at the weekly meetings.
This year had been difficult for Sam Park. His beloved wife, Rose, had died in early June. They had been married for over 40 years. Her loss hit him really hard. They never had children and so the sting of grief was his to bear alone. It was his year of “firsts.” The first anniversary in July without her presence. His first birthday in September without her gift. The first Thanksgiving without her at the table. And now it was the first Christmas without her warm and gracious spirit. He was trying to get through the season the best he could but somedays, the grief was too much to bear. Mark could see the sadness in his eyes and hear the empty longing in his voice as the two men talked for a few minutes. Mark was worried about his friend and asked, “What does Christmas Day look like for you? I know it’s going to be hard.” Sam just nodded and looked away as if he could somehow avoid the question. He finally said, “I’ve got nothing really unusual planned. Probably will watch some football or maybe take a long walk.” The response bothered Mark. “What are you doing for Christmas lunch? You really shouldn’t be alone, not this year,” said Mark. “Why don’t you come and eat with us? It’s just Libby and me this year, my son and his family aren’t coming till New Years.” Sam protested and said what a kind offer it was, but he probably shouldn’t come. But Mark insisted and told him not to worry about bringing anything, that having him in their home would be a great blessing. And then Sam did something very unexpected. He walked around the counter and gave Mark a hug and quietly whispered, “Thanks…”
When Mark got back into his car he gave Libby a quick call. “Well, I know I should have asked you first, but it just seemed like the right thing to do in the moment… I just invited Sam Park over for Christmas dinner. I just didn’t want him to be alone… not this year especially.” Libby, of course, understood completely and added, “Well, we’ve got more than enough to eat. Of course he is welcome. You did the right thing.”
Mark’s next stop was that of picking up the ham at the Honey Baked Ham store. As expected, the line was longer than he wanted it to be. But he had ordered a few days earlier and hoped that the “pre-order line” might be a little shorter. A young college kid, dressed in an Elf suit, opened the door with a loud “Merry Christmas!” The Elf kid then asked if Mark had pre-ordered and if he had pre-paid. That was when Mark discovered he had made a strategic mistake when he ordered the ham. Yes, he had reserved a ham, but no, he had not pre-paid. Those privileged to be in the pre-paid line had only a few minutes to wait. But Mark and the others who had not pre-paid, soon found themselves waiting in a long back and forth line like you see at amusement parks when you are waiting for the newest roller coaster. The Elf apologized and told him it might take up to 20 minutes.
Mark soon struck up a conversation with those around him in line. Several of the faces were familiar. For the most part people were friendly and in a good mood, even though the line was a bit long. He started talking the young man just behind him in line. He was there to pick up a small ham. “It’s just me this year,” he said. “I usually head home to Indiana to be with the folks for a few days, but my boss has me working all the way through tomorrow night. No time to go home this year. At least I will make a little overtime.” Mark learned a lot about him in 20 minutes. His name was Alan and he lived alone. He had just finished grad school a year or so ago. Work had kept him way too busy to even think about dating or settling down. He was a data analyst from Indianapolis. He liked his job but at times it was a little too demanding. “I’m going to miss my mom’s big family dinner this year for the first time. She always puts on such a spread with plenty of great desserts.”
Mark thought to himself, “What’s one more?” He soon found himself inviting this complete stranger to Christmas dinner. Alan didn’t have to think twice about the invitation. “That’s very kind of you to offer. You sure it’s okay with your wife?” “The more the merrier,” Mark replied. (Of course, in his mind he wondered if Libby would be excited about another person at the table.) Mark told Alan, “No need for you to stay in this line any longer. I’m getting plenty. Just come over about 11:30 or so,” and he handed him a business card with the address and his cell phone if needed. After putting the ham in the cooler in the trunk of his car, Mark called Libby to tell her that he had done it again… another mouth to feed at the table. He told her about how he met Alan and how he just felt sorry for the kid. “It’s no problem at all,” said Libby, “but we might need to add a little to the grocery list.”
It was already past noon when Mark arrived at the Mall. It was crazy busy. He had to park a long way from the entrance. At least the snow had stopped as predicted. Normally, he would not have minded the long walk, but he was carrying an armload of packages to get wrapped by the church folks. He waited in line for maybe 15 minutes at the makeshift wrapping station. The older teenager who took his packages was very polite and proficient. She asked which type of paper he wanted, did he want a bow, and did he want to make a donation to the mission fund? Mark was so grateful for the help that he did indeed make a generous donation. The teenager wrapping the packages explained that she was going on the mission trip herself next summer. They were headed to Ecuador to work in a medical clinic for a week. She was excited about the trip and Mark enjoyed seeing the joy in her face as they talked. In just a few minutes the packages looked amazing, and Mark was once again on his way.
He looked at his watch and noticed it was nearly 1:00 p.m. He decided to treat himself with lunch at the mall food court. There were about a dozen places from which to choose. He decided to go with a Philly cheesesteak and fries. A nice employee handed him his tray with a steaming hot sandwich and golden fries. It smelled delicious. Now to find a place to sit. The seating area was packed. He walked around and around but had trouble finding a place. Finally, an older woman, who had noticed his plight, said, “You’re welcome to join me, if you like. I’m not sure you have many other options.” Mark took her up on her offer and sat down to lunch with his soon-to-be new friend named Gracie Reynolds. They quickly struck up a conversation.
The more they talked, the more Mark realized that Gracie was battling a bad case of loneliness. It turned out that Gracie had been a widow for more than a decade. Her husband was victimized with ALS and died only a year after the first diagnosis. Gracie told Mark that it had been a terrible thing to see him go that way. “He was always so strong, so full of life…” Her voice trailed away. Even though it had been so long ago, she still missed him greatly. “Christmas time always makes it worse,” she admitted. “We used to travel during the holidays. We once drove to New York to see the lights and all the Christmas decorations. We even flew to Paris one year and sat at a sidewalk café on Christmas morning eating pastries and drinking the most delicious coffee.” Mark and Gracie talked and laughed for nearly an hour. She told him that she often came to the mall at Christmas time. “I just don’t want to be by myself. I like being around people and this place helps me escape my loneliness for a little while.” “I can do better than that!” exclaimed Mark. “Why don’t you come to our house for Christmas dinner. It would be an honor to have you join us.” There was kindness in his voice and sincerity in his invitation. She replied, “The honor would be all mine… what do I need to bring?” “Just bring yourself,” Mark responded. We’ve got plenty. I would love for you to meet my wife, Libby. I think the two of you would really hit it off.” It was settled. She would come to dinner.
Before leaving the Mall, Mark had one more, quick stop to make. He walked to the See’s candy kiosk and bought a box of butterscotch chocolates for Libby. They were her favorite and reminded her of early days when an Uncle who lived in California would send a box to the house each Christmas. He called her from the car. This time she simply answered by saying, “Let me guess… you did it again, didn’t you?” He admitted that yes, he had invited yet another guest to the lunch table. “Her name is Gracie and you are going to love her.”
Mark knew that he was way behind schedule when made his way towards the local grocery store to pick up an ever-growing list of items. He decided that he needed a little caffeine before making his assault on the grocery store. He had been wanting to try one of those peppermint mochas he had heard so much about. He pulled into a local Starbucks, which of course, was crowded like every other place he had visited that day. The car line wrapped all the way around the building. Mark decided it was probably better to park and go inside to get his caffeine fix. He made the right decision. There was just one other customer in line as he made his way to the counter. The young 20-something coffee barista was obviously struggling to keep up with everyone’s order. The man in front of him in line yelled at her because he had ordered his drink without foam, yet when she handed it to him… lots of foam. “How hard is it to get something so simple, so wrong?” he yelled at her. “I’m not paying for this.” With his foamy drink in hand, he turned and stormed off.
He noticed that her lip quivered a little when she asked him, “What can we get started for you today?” Mark looked at her nametag. Her name was Julie. And even though it was not his fault in anyway, he apologized about the angry customer that had just stormed out. “Sorry about that last guy. There was no reason for him to lose it like that. Obviously, he was having a bad day and he shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” “Thanks,” she said quietly. Mark decided to change his order and simply asked for a tall, black coffee. Julie gave him a slight smile as though it was the first act of kindness she had experienced during a very long shift. With coffee in hand, Mark sat down at a small table near the door.
He was lost in thought when Julie walked up to the table and said, “Mister, I think you forgot your credit card,” as she handed him his Visa. “Oh my goodness,” said Mark, “thanks a lot. I would have probably not missed it until I had a buggy full of groceries to buy. That’s my next stop.” “Got a big Christmas meal coming up?” she asked. “Well, yeah, sort of. It just keeps getting bigger all the time. You see I’ve…” The conversation was interrupted by Julie’s manager telling her that it was time for her 15-minute break. She whispered to Mark, “I could certainly use a little break. It’s been a long day… in fact, it’s been a long month.” Mark invited her to sit at his table and was surprised when she did just that. Within a few minutes, she began to spill some of her story. Sometimes it is easier to tell a stranger your secrets than it is to tell a trusted friend.
Julie had moved South to go to business school. At least that is what she had told her parents. Truth be told, she wanted to be closer to her boyfriend and out from under the constant nagging of her parents. But things were not working out so well. Her boyfriend dumped her about halfway through the semester and her grades took a deep dive. She was scared about tuition, grades, her rent, and everything else. She took the Starbucks job to make a little extra cash over the holidays. She had signed up for every shift they would give her, even working till 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Mark listened to her story and could sense her anxiety. He finally said, “I don’t know if you have plans for Christmas dinner. Like I told you, my wife and I are having a few friends over for lunch. If you feel like being around some folks and want a good meal, you are welcome to come join us. No strings attached. You can leave as soon as we eat if you want.” She hesitated a little. “Why do you care?” she asked. “Why would you invite a complete stranger for Christmas dinner?” Mark responded, “You just sound like you could use a break.” He took out another business card and wrote the address and his cell phone number on the back. “Just think about it. Come if you want. No pressure either way.” “Thanks, I’ll think about it,” she said. Mark thanked her for the conversation and headed to his car.
Once again, he called Libby. Sheepishly he said, “Umm… there might be another person coming to dinner. I just asked one of the employees at Starbucks. Not sure she’s coming, but it sounded to me like she could use a little company so I invited her.” “What in the world is going on with you today?” asked Libby. “Are you determined to take in all the strays for the holidays?” “Maybe so,” said Mark. “It just seemed like the thing to do. I promise this one will be the last.” They talked a little longer about several items that needed to be added to the grocery list with all the additional folks. The list was long and the afternoon was spent, but Mark found himself strangely excited about the extra people coming to dinner.
It was after 5 p.m. when he pulled into the Publix parking lot. He read over the list and added a few notes in the margins. He grabbed a buggy and a Lysol wipe and made his way into the store. There were lots of people moving their way up and down each aisle. But everyone seemed pleasant and in the Christmas spirit. Christmas carols were softly playing on the speaker system in the store as Mark began checking items off the list and filling his buggy. He rounded the corner on the bread aisle when he saw a familiar face. It was Fred Arnold. Fred’s son had been in the High School Band with Mark’s boy, which seemed like a lifetime ago. Weekends back in those days were filled with Friday night ballgames and all-day Saturday band competitions. After High School, the boys went off to different colleges with different interests and so the friendship between the families dissipated a bit. In fact, Mark hadn’t seen Fred in several years.
For a few minutes they played the catch-up game, discussing the boys and their careers, work related issues, local news events, and stories from way back when. Mark floated what he thought was an innocent comment… “So, I guess you guys have a big Christmas planned.” Fred looked away for moment and said, “I guess you never heard. Mary and I divorced a couple of years ago. It got really nasty. She took the house and dog, and our son has ping-ponged back and forth between us for the past couple of years. This year, he’s spending Christmas with his mom. So… no. Not much planned for this year.” Mark replied, “Fred, I’m sorry to hear all of that. I’m sure it’s been rough.” At that point the conversation took a much more serious turn. Mark tried his best to cheer up his friend but found most of the conversation a bit awkward. Finally Mark said, “Hey, why don’t you join us for Christmas dinner. We’ve got some guests coming over. You wouldn’t need to bring anything. Just come and have a nice dinner with us.” “Are you sure that it’s not too much trouble?” asked Fred. “I mean it is kinda last minute. Libby won’t mind?” “We’d be honored to have you,” said Mark.
And so the list of table guests became a little longer. The room would be filled with both new strangers and old friends. Mark didn’t even call Libby this time. He just added a few things to the grocery list so that there would be plenty. It was well past dark when he finally got home from his long day of running errands and shopping. He helped Libby with some supper and surprised her with the box of chocolates he had purchased earlier in the day. He added up the list of potential guests for Christmas day. The table once set for 2 would now become a table set for 7. Mark knew that he had created a lot more work for himself to get the house and the meal ready, but something about the promise of guests in his home both energized and encouraged him. There would be stories to hear, emptiness to fill, brokenness to mend, and joy to restore. What a great way to spend Christmas.
Late that night, after watching It’s a Wonderful Life with Libby for the 2nd time in a week, Mark finally crawled into bed. He was reminded of his morning prayer… “Father, help me to be your representative this day. May I see the needs of those I encounter, may I hear the voices of the troubled, and may I speak words of hope to those who are desperate. Make me generous, patient, and kind.” And then he thought of the ways that prayer had been answered. The Christmas “list” was not a long, hand-written list of items to gather, but rather people for him to collect along the way. People who needed a little Christmas in their lives.
Christmas day came with warmer temperatures and bright sunshine. And to Mark’s great delight, all the invited guests came to his house for Christmas dinner. He looked at the table, filled with delicious food, but also filled with new friends. There was Gracie, the lonely widow from the Mall. Sam, the dry cleaner was there as well. Julie from the coffee shop showed up and even brought a cake. Young Alan who had waited in line with Mark at the Honey Baked Ham store was there. And old friend, Fred, was also seated at the table. Strangers laughed like old friends. The lonely found community. The scared found hope. And the grieving rediscovered joy.
This Christmas season, as you venture to all those busy places that are a part of the routine, you may encounter some “soon-to-be-discovered” friends along the way. They may have some needs, some pain, and maybe some loneliness. In trying to heal some of the hurts in their lives, you may also find yourself strangely healed. I hope you will see the needs around you, hear the voices of the troubled, and speak hope to the desperate. Who knows what or who might end up on your list this year?
Merry Christmas