Sally curled her fingers around the thick crayon, her tongue
slipped through her lips in abject concentration. The letters must be formed
just right. All the words must be straight, for this was the most important
letter she would ever write.
Carly dried the last of the dishes as she watched her little
girl bent low over her paper.
"Jotting down the things you want for Christmas?" Sally nodded, but didn’t look up from her task.
A key turned in the lock and Daddy stumbled through the
door.
Sally wrote faster.
She wrote through the yelling, through the crying, through
the slamming of the door as Daddy left again. When she had finished, she
carefully folded the letter and put it into an envelope and addressed it…To
Jesus.
"Mama?” she said, “Can we go to the mall tomorrow?"
Carly looked at her beautiful child through red and swollen eyes. “You want to see
Santa? To give him your list?"
Sally shook her head, “No, Santa only brings toys. I want to
see Jesus for Christmas this year. Since Christmas is Jesus' birthday, he'll be at the mall, too. Right?"
Carly looked at her little girl - her spirit so strong and her
body so frail. If the doctors were right, Sally would indeed see Jesus for
Christmas this year. “Let’s get you back
to bed, Sweet Pea. I’ll hold your letter until morning."
When Jessie came back home that night, Carly was waiting for
him, holding Sally’s letter “You have
to read this,” she said." Jessie read through whiskey blurred eyes what his little
girl had written.
Dear Jesus,
Please make my mommy and daddy love each other again.
Your friend,
Sally
Husband and wife cried together that night and promised to
work things out. Promised to allow God to mend their marriage and promised to
seek Jesus for the answer to their little girl’s Christmas wish.
On Christmas morning, Sally looked up into St. Peter’s
eyes. “Is this the line to see Jesus?”
she asked.
"You don’t need to stand in line, Sally,” said St. Peter,
“Jesus is waiting for you."
She turned to see the Friend Of Children waiting to take her
in. She ran into his arms and buried her
face in his chest. “Did you get my letter?” she asked.
“Yes, child,” he said “and your wish has been granted“
Thank you, Jesus,” she reached her hand up and patted his
face, “and Merry Christmas.”
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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)
