A practical gift is not always what the heart desires

Food for Thought column by Rev John Sterrett, St Andrew's Church, Golspie.

I went to high school in one of the northern suburbs of Chicago. One day during the Christmas season, a chemistry teacher held out a tin with a slot in the top of it for donations. I was never good at chemistry and on top of that, this lady was a stern teacher. I disliked her intensely. I had similar thoughts about chemistry class too, and I was not alone. But she told us a true story I’ll never forget. Food for Thought column by Rev John Sterrett, St Andrew's Church, Golspie.

“Every year” she said, “I support a charity that donates money so that underprivileged children living in government housing projects in inner city Chicago can have a Christmas gift.”

She went on to tell us that most of the children were from very poor, mostly black, families. Few had ever been anywhere outside the concrete jungle of the big city. Almost none had ever visited a big department store. So the charity took them on a shopping trip to one of the finest department stores in the city, Marshall Field’s, and let them select anything they wanted up to a certain sum.

Now, Marshall Field’s was a spectacular place, not unlike Harrods in London. It was one of my favourite places to explore and had nine, enormous floors. Several of them were hollowed out in the centre for several stories and every year a huge Christmas tree was erected which soared high out of sight, past several balconies of several of the floors. There was a dining room at the foot of the tree and one of my favourite things to do, like many people, was to have tea there every year.

My teacher accompanied the charity workers one year as they chaperoned the children on this trip. She was with the youngest group of children. They were ushered through the big, glass, revolving doors on the ground floor, past the women’s clothes, make-up and perfume and guided to the lifts. Then whoosh! Up several stories to the children’s department.

There were rows and rows of children’s clothes, accessories. and toys! A child’s heaven. The look of awe in the children’s eyes must have been priceless.

At one point, my teacher was standing at the end of a row of expensive dolls and witnessed a conversation. Most of the children had moved on, but there was one little girl who lingered in the doll aisle. She fingered the edges of the ruffles of the dolls’ dresses. Finally, she carefully selected the doll she liked and took it off the shelf and gently held it to herself.

One of the ladies who chaperoned the children came down the aisle and saw the little girl with the doll. The lady said “Honey, there are some jumpers over on the next aisle. Wouldn’t you rather have one of them? A jumper would keep you warm when it gets cold. A dolly can’t do that.” The little girl looked up at the lady with big eyes and said “I’ve had a jumper before. But I’ve never had a dolly.”

My class, which was full of mostly well-off, Jewish teenagers, donated some money after hearing this story. And I learned that my teacher was not all bad. I suppose we are all mixed bags of contradictions.

People’s deepest needs are not necessarily practical. Do something for someone this Christmas season that will make them feel special. Find out what really delights them and see that they get it. Remember that Jesus said “Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).

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