A Real Christmas Story

Start a new tradition in your family!  Include the book   
St. Nicholas – The Real Story of the Christmas Legend, oranges, and a drawstring pouch with chocolate coins.  Read the story with your kids.

I want Ethan to know who Saint Nicholas was; he was a man who loved God and shared the love of God with those around him. After we read a couple of stories about the real Santa Claus, Ethan decided he wanted to be Saint Nicholas too!  This is a new tradition I want to start. I found dollar store stockings and had him fill them with oranges and some chocolate gold coins.

Then, Ethan wrote Merry Christmas on the Christmas cards we had made a couple of weeks ago. It was such a challenge for Ethan to sneak quietly to our neighbors' house. He tried really hard. We just left them at the door.

A few days later, when we pulled into our driveway, we could see the stocking that we dropped off earlier in the week was sitting on our porch filled again! Ethan yelled out, "Saint Nicholas was here!"

So, Ethan brought the stocking inside and we got to watch him open it up. It was so awesome to see him so excited about the fruit.  There was a card inside the stocking that read, "We didn't miss the moment of you teaching Ethan how to share! You are great parents and wonderful neighbors. God bless you, the Launders Family".

I started to cry when I read the card... I was touched. It means a lot to me to see Ethan learning how to show love to others. Then, for it to come right back around to him in the same week. He really understood what it meant to show God's love and kindness. Then, two hours later, our other neighbor knocked on our door and gave us a gift bag filled with baked goodies! Look! This didn't happen last year. See how showing kindness and love becomes contagious? We aren't going to keep the stocking. We are going to fill it again and give it out this week. It shouldn't just stop at us, right? God's love needs to be shared again and again!

Written by Jen Evans