The Big Stocking
Submitted by Jocelyn on December 5, 2010 – 8:04 pm No Comment.
by Melissa Fisher
A few years ago, while my husband was deployed, I traveled back from overseas to the states so that I could spend the holidays with my family. My boys, ages two and four, and had seen Daddy come and go so often that this second deployment didn’t seem to faze them. Nevertheless, we were all looking forward to our trip home.
While decorating my parents’ house for Christmas, my four-year-old, Braydon, started to realize what the stockings were for. As he pulled them out of the box, he declared, “I’m going to need a bigger sock!”
In light of this, my mom found a large, three-foot-tall stocking to use for Braydon. We filled each of her grandkid’s stockings on Christmas Eve, and while the other stockings were full to the brim, the large stocking was so big that it was only full in the toe. We were looking forward to the moment he would see his big stocking and chatted about the idea of taking pictures of the kids standing in it.
The next morning, all of the grandkids ran downstairs to dig into the stockings. We tried to hide our smiles as we watched them read each name to figure out which one was their own. To our surprise, Braydon saw his name, looked at the stocking, and burst into tears.
“It’s empty!” he cried.
It broke my heart to see him so sad and we immediately tried to explain that there were, in fact, toys at the bottom. He never really did get over the traumatic “empty stocking” feeling even as the morning continued as he couldn’t shake the thought that someone may have forgotten him.
It still makes me laugh and cry at the same time to think of that morning. I remember sympathizing with him, though, as I felt like something was seriously missing in my holiday. With my husband gone, I felt like I had these hopes for a decent Christmas, but inside I felt mostly empty and wanting more. By the end of the day, my son was throwing his first-ever tantrum, I was mentally exhausted, and I wondered why I had bothered to celebrate at all. I was so busy filling my stocking with what I thought was important—parties, shopping, and even family gatherings— yet my stocking was never full. And all the while I was screaming at God, “It’s empty!”
God still speaks to me like he did that day. “It’s not your holiday,” he said, “It’s Mine.”
With all of the hustle and bustle surrounding the day, I never took the time to marvel in God’s goodness of sending his son to this earth. So many people, pre Christ, would have loved to be alive in a time where they could not just hope for a Savior, but celebrate his birth. Why can I not grasp this amazing blessing? I don’t have to hope for a savior. I don’t have to wonder when, where and how he arrives. I get to celebrate!
Even though my husband is expected to be around this year, I hope I don’t let it deter me from the fact that I am purposely celebrating Jesus’ birth. I hope that I’m able to set the “Me” aside long enough to see the “Him.” God has given me the biggest stocking, called Life. And the best news of all is that if I can sacrificially empty it of my petty desires, I will reap the benefit of seeing my stocking being filled—overflowing—with Him.
About the Author:
Melissa Fisher enjoys running, traveling, and writing Bible studies for YoungLives. She currently lives in Arizona with her two young children and her husband who is an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force. Her blogs can be found at www.teenmombiblestudies.wordpress.com and www.memyselfandqwerty.blogspot.com.
