It was going to be the greatest Christmas ever! There was $500 in the bank, saved for Cindy's bicycle, a pedal car for Betty, dolls, clothes, candy, fancy nutmeats.

Then it happened. Just two weeks before Christmas a little girl was over at our house, playing with our children. Her name was Penny. She wore a tattered dress, had no socks or coat, and her shoes were pretty well used.

When Penny was offered a cookie, she politely took one, and put it the pocket of her dress. She said she was saving it for "Po". Who was Po, we wondered. Penny said Po was a little sister who couldn't walk without help from her other brothers and sisters.

How many brothers and sisters? Well, Penny had four brothers and four sisters. Hmmm, Let's see. Wow, that makes nine kids. Nine of them!

Christmas is a special time for children. On observation, these kids wouldn't have much of a Christmas. Joan and I talked about it later and decided that they weren't our kids. We had no responsibility for them. After all, gathering that $500 was no easy task for us. We put the matter out of our minds and went to bed.

Sometime later I heard Joan ask, "Hey, you asleep?" I wasn't. I couldn't sleep for thinking about those little kids who might not have a Christmas.

We talked about them (and prayed) half the night. Let's see, $500 divided by 11 is about $45 each. Then, take some out for food, leaves about $40 per kid. Of course that sort of leaves out anything for Joan and I.

So Cindy didn't get a new bike. She got a used bike, repainted though. Betty didn't get a peddle car. Her present was a used tricycle, painted the same color as the bicycle.

Christmas Morning arrived, and the house was filled with happy, shrieking children. "Oh, look what I got!" echoed through the house. And there was Po, sitting in the middle of the floor, with the biggest smile of all.

Yes, for us, it was the Greatest Christmas Ever!
- - - Tom Nance