THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Cindy Trane Christeson

‘I am wishing for you this day a happy Christmas. I would send you

those gifts, which are beyond price, outlast time and bridge all space. I

wish you all laughter and pure joy, a merry heart and a clear conscience,

and love, which thinks no evil, is not easily provoked and seeks not its

own; the fragrance of flowers, the sweet associations of holly and

mistletoe and fir, the memory of deep woods, of peaceful hills and of the

mantling snow, which guards the sleep of all God’s creatures. I wish that

the spirit of Christmastide may draw you into companionship with him who

giveth all. Come, let us adore him.’

-- Bishop Remington

I’ve stood in a lot of lines lately. You probably have as well. I

tried to plan ahead with Christmas shopping and errands, but whenever I

crossed one thing off my errand list, I added two more. Most of the

markets and stores I went to had long lines of people waiting at the

checkout stand, but God creatively used those experiences.

Several weeks ago, I drove to Balboa Island to buy some gifts. I

went to the store early and was surprised to see four people in line

ahead of me. The woman behind the counter smiled and said, “Good morning,

I’ll be with you as soon as I can, but these credit card sales are

unusually pokey today.”

Everyone else in line turned and smiled at me as well. The timing was

perfect, because I was about to sigh and look at my watch, but their

smiles helped me relax. So did hearing the song “Away in the Manger.”

“Isn’t this a glorious day?” one of the other women asked. We all

agreed, and before long we were all talking.

When I left, I didn’t look at my watch, but thanked God for the beauty

of the day.

In the next store, I also stood in a long line, but also talked to

people and enjoyed the Christmas carols. A postal worker came in and

started singing along with the song, which was “The First Noel.” She left

some mail on the counter, smiled at all of us and said, “I just love this

music.”

A few days later, I found myself in a very long line at the pharmacy.

I took a deep breath and said a quick prayer for God to give me the right

perspective. The elderly gentleman ahead of me turned around and smiled,

and I asked how his day had gone.

“I’ve stood in a lot of lines today, but I’ve decided that a line is a

gift of time,” he said. “Everybody is rushing everywhere, but they’re

missing the point of the season.”

We talked awhile and he told me about his grandchildren.

“Yes, lines give the time to talk to people and time to listen to the

songs. This is one of my favorites,” he said and started humming along

with “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come.”

I told him it was one of my favorites too.

I’m trying to relax in lines, talk with people and really listen to

the words of the Christmas carols. Besides the memorable tunes, there are

meaningful messages in the music. And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.