One Christmas years ago, some townspeople wanted to share God’s love in a practical way. They planted a vegetable garden beside the railroad tracks in a deserted area outside of town. The townspeople hoed, planted and watered the garden until it produced a great harvest. They laid down their tools in the garden and went about their business, content to let nature take its course.

Over the next year, they planted nothing else and never picked a vegetable. But the garden grew and grew and grew, yet vegetables seldom rotted in the garden. Weeds were scarce, and the garden always seemed to have that “specially tended to” look.

Was it a miracle? Perhaps. An untold number of homeless hobos riding the railroad- perhaps dozens, perhaps hundreds- helped themselves to the crop and often spent many hours looking after the garden. For them, Christmas happened year-round, when they could always count on the blessings of good food- especially tasty as the fruit of their hard labors.

Anonymous

from Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned from Jesus; 1998 David C. Cook Publishing Company