Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

ate children around the world.</p><p id="f852">Each shoebox has a label on the outside with checkboxes for age ranges so the people who distribute the boxes can ensure they give them to children of the appropriate age.</p><p id="5285">That evening a church member had dropped off a lovingly packed shoebox; however, the shipment of boxes had already been picked up. Don knew this box had been left at the church, and when he looked at the label, he noticed the children’s ages marked were 2–4, 5–9 and 10–14 years! He brought the box to show me with a beaming smile.</p><figure id="5801"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*pYbhg8kZtC_OGHaWCSHsOg.jpeg"><figcaption>Don, holding the Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The label shows the ages of the children — the exact age range the grandfather needed. :)</figcaption></figure><p id="7338">Was this a coincidence or a mini Christmas miracle?</p><p id="7cfc">Don decided to re-route this shoebox, filled with carefully chosen gifts and packed with love, to a struggling local family. I left the church that evening and drove off sparkling with Christmas spirit.</p><p id="1465">If you need help, let people around you know because the universe works in mysterious ways. Maybe, if you put it out there, the right cogs will turn and some good luck will come your way.</p><p id="d592">Wishing you love and happiness this Christmas. 💖</p><p id="efb1">Th

Options

anks for reading! For an email when I publish a new story, please <a href="https://gill-mcculloch.medium.com/subscribe">subscribe here.</a> You can find my story index <a href="https://readmedium.com/gill-mcculloch-story-index-a4d6bdad2219">here.</a> You may also like:</p><div id="322b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://gill-mcculloch.medium.com/list/54d0065d671f"> <div> <div> <h2>Christmas Stories by Gill McCulloch</h2> <div><h3> </h3></div> <div><p>Stories by Gill McCulloch gill-mcculloch.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*d2f28e530b3d0b255504d4da7dd738b8be0666b4.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="67ce" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/gill-mcculloch-story-index-a4d6bdad2219"> <div> <div> <h2>Gill McCulloch — Story Index</h2> <div><h3>undefined</h3></div> <div><p>undefined</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*-gaHET701jNyHJhsbOORew.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

CHRISTMAS MAGIC

Mysterious Mini-Miracles Around Christmas — Don’t You Love It When That Happens?

A struggling grandfather has his prayers answered in an unexpected way

One evening in December a few years ago, I ran a Red Cross first aid class at one of our local churches. As I was cleaning up after the course, Don, one of the church staff, came up to me and said, “Gill, have you heard the saying, God works in mysterious ways?” I said I had and asked him what had happened.

Don told me a man had just come into the church and said he needed gifts for his grandchildren aged 3, 5 and 11 years. The man was upset because he couldn’t afford to buy them anything.

The church was one of the drop-off centres for a project called Operation Christmas Child. Families pack empty shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts which are sent to less fortunate children around the world.

Each shoebox has a label on the outside with checkboxes for age ranges so the people who distribute the boxes can ensure they give them to children of the appropriate age.

That evening a church member had dropped off a lovingly packed shoebox; however, the shipment of boxes had already been picked up. Don knew this box had been left at the church, and when he looked at the label, he noticed the children’s ages marked were 2–4, 5–9 and 10–14 years! He brought the box to show me with a beaming smile.

Don, holding the Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The label shows the ages of the children — the exact age range the grandfather needed. :)

Was this a coincidence or a mini Christmas miracle?

Don decided to re-route this shoebox, filled with carefully chosen gifts and packed with love, to a struggling local family. I left the church that evening and drove off sparkling with Christmas spirit.

If you need help, let people around you know because the universe works in mysterious ways. Maybe, if you put it out there, the right cogs will turn and some good luck will come your way.

Wishing you love and happiness this Christmas. 💖

Thanks for reading! For an email when I publish a new story, please subscribe here. You can find my story index here. You may also like:

Christmas Stories by Gill McCulloch

Stories by Gill McCulloch gill-mcculloch.medium.com