Seasonal And Holidays Past Journal

Something Nice For Christmas

I have been working with my brother Rick who is handicapped since 1977
in a space in time I think fondly of. Sometimes, I fold and arrange his
work papers (he works as a computer programmer for a local company),
other times I just warm his meals or take out his trash. The days go by
one by one and he continues to be a trooper in whatever he does, busy as
a bee (even creating greeting cards in his spare time).

Rick is ceaselessly working to create a liveable environment as a handicapped
man and he tells me often he has a friend in Jesus. He goes to a bible study
group and there he meets weekly with his church member friends, including
one particular friend, Ty, who happens to be blind. Ty was somewhat in
arrears with no funds for very much, a while back, so Rick graciously
advertised and sought donations from church members to buy Ty his own
braille system for reading books. He encouraged Ty to read to the point
where Ty eventually got his own PC.

I’ve been thinking about what a caring, kind, and selfless person Rick really
is. I would love to suit him, and be something made especially for him for
Christmas. Could I be his roaring fire? Or something he would like to
have? A snowy Christmas eve for him? Truthfully, I would love to be
a new pair of hands for him, a new lease on life. (Christopher Reeves has
campaigned for research for such a thing but I know being this kind of
present is unattainable. Maybe, I would then like to be part of a new living
bible which is a constant source for his daily routine. I might surprise him
as he unwraps me and recites: Matthew20:29-34 realizing that if he too
helped a blind man, Jesus would know that he is a very special man on
earth, unlike any other.

As I wrote this, I received a phone call from Rick. He just wanted to tell
me that Ty had received my Christmas card and that he ran it through his
scanner and that although he couldn’t see it, he understood. I knew then
that my 2002 Christmas would be joyous and blessed this year!