Article December 20, 2010 Issue

Christmas fellowship and 'Immanuel'

BY MELISSA HAYDEN

Many years ago, not long after my husband, Richard, and I were married, we found ourselves with very little cash at Christmastime. Rich was unemployed, and my salary was stretched thin to pay not only regular living expenses but a great deal of debt.

The company where I worked had recently hired a consultant, and he'd moved to our community with his wife and baby. Since they were new in town, we invited them to share Christmas with us.

As the holiday approached, I became concerned that we would be unable to provide any kind of meal for them beyond the meager supplies in our pantry. We didn't even know if we could afford a tree to make the house more festive. But as a student of Christian Science, I was confident that the joyful expression of Christmas that filled my heart would help me find spiritual solutions.