The Redemption Ornament

Every year, a dear friend in our ladies’ Bible study hosts a Christmas ornament exchange party at her home. Two things are required of those who are invited to this popular event. They must bring a Christmas ornament either wrapped or in a gift bag, and a finger food to share. Lots of women attend, and the competition is fierce among them to elicit the most “oohs” and “aahs” for their highly-coveted ornaments. And the food isn’t too shabby, either—everything you could imagine from fudge and cookies to dips and cocktail wienies and fondues.

After we eat and visit, a bowl filled with numbered and folded scraps of paper is passed around, and each woman picks one. The first and the last numbers are greatly prized, as they have the option to steal someone else’s ornament. Over the years, we’ve seen some remarkable ornaments plucked from those delightful gift bags. Beautiful glowing nativity scenes, Waterford glass Christmas stockings, intricate handblown glass, delicate vintage ornaments, olive wood arks carved in Israel, snowmen and santas, glittery, sequined orbs, electronic marvels featuring tiny villages or Christmas trains, and even a singing pickle!

After the carnage of shredded paper and mayhem is finished, we usually conclude the evening by singing Christmas carols together a capella. We like to call it “Acapulco,” just for giggles and grins. But last year’s ornament exchange ended a different way. One of the women had brought her daughter-in-law with her, and she made a heartfelt request. She asked us to pray. Her son and daughter-in-law had been trying to conceive a child for five years without success. The young couple were overwhelmed with sadness as their dream of starting a family together faded with each passing season. So after the final chord of our usual Christmas carols, we circled this young woman and prayed fervently for her. Some recited Scriptures of encouragement, while others recounted God’s faithfulness to them when they were unable to conceive.

The young woman was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears streamed down her face as she thanked us profusely. And then something unexpected happened. Our hostess grasped an ornament off of her Christmas tree. The tender way she cradled it in her hand revealed that this one was special to her. She placed the ornament in the young woman’s hands and told her it was given to her by her mother when she was pregnant with her first child. My friend insisted that the young woman take the ornament home with her. She was confident that our prayers were heard by God and that the young woman would return the following year not only with the special ornament but also with her new baby.

Months later, the woman who had brought her daughter-in-law to us for prayer gleefully announced that her son and daughter-in-law were expecting a baby! And even better—the due date was the exact date of the Christmas party the previous year, the very date we’d prayed for her!

Our hostess pushed back the date for the party this year, and everyone is looking forward to it. Not for the ornaments or the yummy Christmas foods. Or the carols. Or the silly Christmas sweaters. But for the beautiful Christmas baby we are all excited to “ooh” and “ahh” over. A  gift from God to a young couple in answer to our earnest prayers. This year we will sing God’s praises for the beautiful miracle of new life. And we might even sing a few carols, too.

Author of traditional and indie-published fiction and nonfiction books, novellas and short stories, Linda Kozar is also a speaker, and podcaster (Along Came A Writer, Chat Noir Mystery and Suspense). The recipient of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s 2007 Mentor of the Year, she also founded The ACFW Woodlands, Texas Chapter of the organization. Linda and her husband of 29 years, Michael, live in The Woodlands, Texas and enjoy spending time with their two grown daughters, their wonderful son-in-law, and Gypsy, their rascally Jack Russell Terrier.

Photograph © Markus Spiske, used with permission