It was before Christmas.The spirit of the season had not yet caught up
with me.Quickly,I filled my shopping cart with some things and went to the long checkout lines.I
picked the__1__one,but it looked as if it would be__2__a 20-minute
wait. In front of me
were__3__small children—a boy of five and a younger
girl.The girl__4__a beautiful pair of shiny,golden shoes
and__5__them as though they were her treasures. The clerk showed them the__6__.“That will be $
6.09,”she said.The boy__7__some bills on the stand while he__8__his
pockets.He finally came up with $ 3.12.“I guess we will come back
some__9__time,maybe tomorrow.”With those__10__the little girl began to
cry.“But Jesus would have loved these__11__,”she cried.“Well,we'll go home and
work some more.Don't cry.We'll come__12__,”he told her. Quickly I handed $ 3 to
the__13__.These children
had waited in line for a long time and,__14__all,it was Christmas.Suddenly a
pair of arms came around
me with a__15__,“ Thank you,lady.”The girl said,“My Sunday
teacher said that the
streets in the heaven
were made of
shiny__16__,just like these shoes.Our mommy is sick and she is going
to__17__.Daddy said that she might go before Christmas,to be with
Jesus.I think my mom will be beautiful__18__on those streets to__19__these
shoes.” My eyes filled with tears.Silently I thanked God for using these
children to__20__me of the true spirit of giving.