CHRISTMAS

" Already at home, Valter?" a woman asked her son in a faint voice. The son had just come through the door. He had just turned 17. His mother was emaciated and in pain in her bed.

"Yes, mother! Unfortunately, now the workshop closes already at. 16:00 every day. The Director said that there was too little to do and he could not help as many as before working in the storehouse"

"I would rather close the thing for good" he said . He just could not because of us. I am one of the youngest, so if someone is given a notice, I am probably one of the first to go. So maybe it's best that I start trying to find another job."

The sick woman sighed deeply, and Valter began to knock the few pieces of charcoal in the oven in pieces, and so he supplemented with some more.

" No please, do not put too many in, my dear" his mother reminded him, despite the fact that her voice trembled with cold and her shivering hands unsuccessfully tried to get warm under the thin blanket. "It is no more than an hour ago, Mrs. Miller put some coal in "

" What good is that, Mom. When there is as cold as in an open shed, you will never get warm. - I am also going to heat up some coffee for you."

" No pleae, do not make you any trouble, Valter, I do not need it. But have one hot cup youself, you look so weakened today. "

" Oh, it is not necessary. I'm young and healthy, but - mother, there is no God in heaven, mother otherwise - " Valter burst into tears.

" Valter , Valter, do not sin. You know not what you say. Oh, dear friend rest, such a speech makes me more harm than hunger, thirst and pain. All I can bear, but when I see you this unhappy"

These words said by one in very strong pain was too much for this young man. " Dear Mom”, he whispered , "All night I prayed to God, and instead of getting help, we are sunk even deeper into the marsh. How will all this end?"

" It will end as God wants it, and like that it always gets the end that it is the best for us," his mother comforted him. "Just wait quietly my son so the help will not be missing. The need is not greater than our help. When you get as old as I am, then you will have seen more than once that the all-powerful and good God who let the ravens bring food to Elijah, he is still alive and ready to help as he did at that time. Oh, Valter "she said moved ," you have a rich heritage, a father's and mother's blessing."

How often her mother had tried to boost the courage of her son when he quite often was discouraged because he could see that his mother was getting weaker and weaker. The pay as he had recovered from hard work did not stretch out for the rent, fuel and the most basic food for both of them. They had already sold one thing now and another then of their battered furniture. Now there was nothing left that they could do without, and that had any value.

One day his mother said to her son: "Valter, how can it be that it 's been so long since you've been to church?"

This young man smiled bitterly as he looked at the old worn coat, which he wore. His mother was not to be told that his Sunday-coat was also sold so he could get more money to buy coal . He helped his mother with so faithful love that a daughter had not made ​​it better, but most of the day he was at work and home, and so their neighbor, Mrs. Miller agreed to look after the sick woman, who had now been bedridden throughout 2 years.

In the same month, i.e November - there was a Sunday school teacher, that for several Sundays had missed a little girl that otherwise used to come regularly at Sunday school.
" She must be sick " she thought, "I will go there and visit her. "

This is how it happened that she came into the house where Mrs. Sommer lived with her son, Valter. The girl had told the teacher that she lived up in the roof room . Therefore the teacher went there on visit. Eventually she came to a narrow and steep staircase and then to a dark attic. She knew no difference between the various doors and knocked therefore on the door which was nearest.

She heard a faint voice say, "Come in!"

"Does a family live here called Nikolajsen?" She asked .

" No, it's the other door here." Answered the sick madam Summer in a weak voice. This young girl was already on her way out when she noticed a little of the poverty and misery in this small home. As by routine, she opened the door, and stepped inside.

" Are you ill?" She asked with pity in her voice. "And are you here all by youself?"

"Not all the time, only when my son is at work."

" How long have you been sick?"

" Two years” ' replied the patient with a quiet sigh.

" Oh, for so long? Who's watching you then? "

" My son ," and so the little alien girl got all Mrs. Sommers story. The girl had a strong compassion and felt sorry for these people.

" Did you not have a better bed than this? " She asked again.

"Yes, indeed, I had it! But we have been forced to sell it all."

"Have you never turned to the charity Help or Support Fund? "

" We hate to beg, and we thought that God could also somehow help us in tough times " the patient said in a low voice.

"It is fantastic howthe Lord God has led me here to you by knocking on the wrong door. I'll be back soon, do not lose hope, God helps" and so she shook the thin hand of this patient and suffering woman . When she went out she put a little money on the table.

It seemed for Mrs. Sommer, that God had sent an angel from Heaven to comfort her, but in particular to strengthen her son's weak faith. She only barely could wait until he got home to tell him the fantastic news. Valter sat silent in shame because of his disbelief when he heard his mother tell. Then he looked around in this semi- dark room.

" And here there have been a girl here? Mom, I'm embarrassed. I have not cleaned here so long. See how the windowsill and the windows look."

And Valter immediately started scrubbing, soap and water, then a little ray of sunshine soon began to penetrate through these before so dirty windows. The sun shone on her mother's bed.

When the girl came back with refreshments to the patient and a little money help 2 days later she immediately became aware of the change and rejoiced in it. Mrs. Sommer told that her son was embarrassed that she had to see all this dirt.

" But no one ever came over the stairs except Mrs. Miller, their neighbor, and with her there is not much better, and so the boy lost his desire to clean. I would not trouble him. He is always so tired when he gets home from work" she said.

Then the last days of November went and December came, the darkest winter month, but it is also the one which comes with the brightest light that ever shone in the world, the star of Bethlehem. The whole world was looking forward to the Christmas holiday. Thus it seemed at any rate, if it were judged by activities on the square and the wide streets, but misery is often to be found behind the high walls and wide streets.

Thinking of Christmas troubled Valter, and now it was imminent. The alien girl who had done so much for them, they had not seen for some time now. The income had gone down recently for Valter and his clothes were not presentable at all to show up in the church, and it was out of the question to buy any Christmas gift for his mother. The old discouragement began to grab him again and this despite the fact that he honestly struggled against it in prayer.

Then came Christmas Eve. The faithful maternal eye saw clearly the concern in her son's eyes. “Valter, please read the Christmas Gospel for me, will you" she said. " Although we do not give each other presents, we must not forget to rejoice in the true Christmas gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. The world 's most powerful and richest men have no greater part in him than we have."

Valter fetched the great Bible quietly and flipped up in the Gospel by Luke. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and the wonder of all wonders took place! The glow of a lit Christmas tree penetrated into this dark Roof room. Mrs. Sommer sat up in her bed with folded hands. This light she had not had for many years. The tree was put on the table, and not before now they saw the surprised and happy face of the young charitable woman in the glare of the Christmas tree lights. She was not alone today. 2 other young people was accompanying her and they carried a basket packed with clothes and now she began to pack up.

" I've brought some bedding for you, dear madam Summer, so you need not lie so hard anymore and some blankets as well. The dear Christmas sun should look in to you in a clean bed. Here is a little rice, plums, coffee and sugar, and a small roast meat and - Frits , where is the cake?" She asked the younger of the two, who was with her. "Here" he said, putting a fresh and fragrant cake in the bed in front of the sick woman.

" My sister has baked it."

" This is too much, too much" madam Summer said in tears.

" But where is your son? "the girl asked. Valter emerged from a corner. He was speechless, but his eyes were wet.

"I have something for you" the girl said friendly.

" This coat is not new. My older brother has owned it." She pointed to the older of his aides. "He's about as tall as you. I think it has made really nice again, so do not be embarrassed to wear it to church with the congegation these days of Christmas."

Valter would like to thank for this, but there were only some unintelligible grunts from him. Yes, her mother was right, this was just too much at once. "You must not thank me" said the stranger "I've got most of this from good people who would gladly give a little Christmas cheer into a dark room. And now I think we should sing a Cristmas hymn together. Then they sang a well-known Christmas hymn.

The young voices of these three siblings sounded so beautiful together. The mother and son also tried to sing along, but it did not go well for them since the movement had been too great for them. This evening had been so completely and utterly different than they could have imagined in their wildest fantasy.

Valter was very grateful when he made the following day in church. That day he promised the child in Bethlehem eternal fidelity.

Some months have passed, but Mrs. Sommer is becoming ever stronger because good friends bring her good tonic food. Valter's income is back on the right track and increasing, so that he, God willing, will not have to fear the coming winter, and how he and his mother have to deal with it. But both of them praise the Lord and bless the tool which he used to send them help.

Go and do likewise and be a blessing .

Effie Campbell translated