Facing my first Christmas alone was a struggle. The joy wasn't there. One evening my doorbell rang and I was greeted by a strange man holding some boxes. He said that he'd been asked to deliver them to me, and with a smile he quickly turned and left. Instructions were included telling me to open the first package marked #1 on December 1. I was to open a gift a day in the order they were marked and on December 25 the giver would be revealed. Each day was a fun surprise! One gift was a cross with the verse, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). It reminds me each day that I'm never alone.

My giver, revealed on December 25, was my nephew and family. Their caring actions brightened my Christmas!