The impossible becoming possible

One of my favorite Christmas stories is unbelievable. It sounds too good. This happened, but you won't believe it.

I was a minister at a church where my wife and I were involved in a small group Bible study with some other couples. A week or two before Christmas a desperate mother called my office.

Her story was too familiar. She and her husband had been out of work for a few months. At the beginning of December he had finally gotten a new job, but there still wasn't enough money to buy Christmas presents for their three children.

I told her the truth: We did not have anything available. No resources. No money set aside to help. Nothing. The cupboard was bare.

I took her number just in case and hung up the phone. Immediately the Lord impressed on me that I needed to do something. I called a few people in our small group -- all of whom have several children of their own and were barely having Christmas themselves -- and I told them the story. They agreed that we could try to do something, but no one knew what.

I called her back and without much optimism said, "I don't know what we will be able to do, if anything, but we will try." I don't think she expected to hear from me again.

Three or four hours later a woman I had never met stopped by my office. She said, I kid you not, "I bought these four bicycles to give away. Can you use them?"

A little while later one of the ladies in our small group called me with the news that a friend of hers had some games and toys turned in too late to be delivered to a gift drive her office was participating in. Could we use them?

In a matter of hours this family went from having nothing to having an overflowing minivan of gifts for Christmas.

All because a few people said "we'll do something."

This story -- I promise it's true -- reminds me of how much God provides. When we see the empowering and obedient words told to Mary the mother of Jesus, "nothing is impossible with God."

What captures the hearts of children of all ages at Christmas is impossibility becoming possible. Merry Christmas.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.