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Sally was nine years old and pretty much had every thing she wanted. She was a good little girl, even though she should have been spoiled. Her parents gave her anything she asked for and a whole lot she didn’t ask for. Every Christmas, Sally received so many gifts it became boring for her to open all of them. And, it was the same on her birthday; more gifts.

They lived in a nice home in a nice neighborhood, where most of the boys and girls had everything they wanted, and Sally was unaware of the children who received so little for Christmas, because they were poor. Of course, it wasn't her fault. Her parents had just not bothered to tell her about people who had less than they had. As far as she knew, everyone lived the way they did. Sally's parents had never told her about the true meaning of Christmas, either. She knew it was the time for the family to get together and for everyone to give each other gifts, but that was as much as she knew.

Her parents weren't bad people. In fact, they had both gone to church when they were younger but, somehow, as they grew up, they couldn't seem to find time for church anymore. Their lives had become too busy. Sally's father ran his own business and that took a lot of his time. Her mother didn't work, but she was on the library committee, the president of the PTA, belonged to several different ladies groups and seemed to be busy all the time.

Each Christmas, Sally and her parents drove to her grandparents’ house in a nearby town for Christmas dinner. Sally always had to go through the boring ordeal of exchanging gifts with all her cousins, and she received yet more gifts she really didn't want. She had already opened gifts for about two hours at home, and had come to hate it. She had to "ooo!" and "ah!" at everything to make her parents feel good. Then, she had to go through the same thing again at her Grandparents. She was polite and thanked them, but she had come to hate Christmas!

Now, it was Christmas again, and Sally was anything but looking forward to it, as she snuggled between her sheets on Christmas Eve. She lay thinking about the day ahead and, quite frankly, was dreading it. When her mother came to tell her goodnight she asked, "Mother, do we have to go to grandma and grandpa’s for dinner tomorrow?"

Her mother was surprised. "Why I thought you would be looking forward to it."

"To tell you the truth, mother, it bores me to death."

"But your grandmother and grandfather will be so disappointed."

"I doubt they would even miss me."

"Sally! How can you think that? Your grandparents love you."

"I know they love me, mother, but I just get bored to tears."

"I'll talk to your father about it."

"Thank you, mother."

Sally didn't know it, but this was going to be a very special Christmas for her. She lay thinking about and dreading tomorrow for a long while before finally drifting off to sleep. It seemed no time at all had passed, when her mother knocked on her door to awaken her. Once more, she went through all the motions of acting excited about all her presents. Her mother said nothing about not going to see her Grandmothers for Christmas and, when all her gifts had been opened and she was dressed, they set out for grandma's one more time. As they did each year, they stopped at the same restaurant to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, they drove but a few miles when her father pulled off the road. He told them the car was steering funny and he wanted to check the tires. Sure enough, one of them was almost flat. He decided to change it before going on, and Sally asked if they could pick some of the flowers growing along the road to take to her grandmother.

Her mother had a strange look on her face as she commented, "I guess we can. It's strange, though. They shouldn't be growing this time of year."

They walked off the highway and into the woods that grew quite thickly in this part of the country.

"Aren't the flowers pretty, mother?"

"Yes, they certainly are. But I still can't figure out how they could be blooming in the middle of the winter."

Sally wandered farther and farther into the woods, picking the prettiest of the flowers. She had a huge handful, when she finally thought she had enough. Sally thought of the big smile her grandmother would have on her face when she gave her the flowers, and it made her feel good. In fact, she had a strangely happy feeling she hadn't had in a long time. She was really going to enjoy giving the flowers to her grandmother. Every year, she gave her a gift for Christmas, but it brought Sally no joy. It was just something her mother bought and wrapped. It meant nothing to Sally. But, the flowers somehow made her feels good. Sally was not aware of it, but she was beginning to feel the true spirit of Christmas for the first time!

She started back toward the highway, but after having walked far enough to get well past the highway, she hadn't seen it at all. Sally was sure she walked in the right direction, but turned and walked in a different direction for a bit. Again, she stopped and realized she was lost!

She called out, "Mother!" No answer. "Mother, where are you?" Her only answer was from a squirrel chattering wildly at her, because she was under the tree where he nested. Sally sat down on a log and thought, "This is the very first time in my life I have been completely alone." As the thought crossed her mind, she smiled. It was funny, but she felt at peace and wasn't frightened at all.

She looked up at the birds in the tree overhead and said, "Hello there, birdies!" Then, she giggled at talking to the birds. Of course, she knew they couldn't understand her, but they didn't seem to be afraid. When she yelled at them the next time, they flew down and landed on the log right next to her.

Now, she spoke softly to them, "Hi there, pretty birdies. Is this a magic place or something? You're supposed to be afraid of me." One of the birds sang a pretty song, as if answering her. She laughed, and thought, "Being lost must be affecting me more than I thought. I know there's no such thing as magic." She smiled at the birds, as she began walking again.

"MOTHER!"

Still no answer, save the sound of the slight breeze in the trees and the birds singing. Then, she came upon a path worn down in the grass by something or someone. Sally stood there for a few minutes debating with herself which way to go and decided to go to her left. After going but a short distance, she came upon a beautiful sight. A small stream bubbled between, around, and over the rocks. The banks of the stream were covered with beautiful flowers, and on the other side of the stream was a log cabin with a wisp of smoke curling from the large stone chimney at the rear. Sally had only seen such a thing in pictures.

She felt total relief at the sight of the cabin and was sure there would be someone there who could tell her how to get back to the highway. As Sally had walked through the woods all alone, she thought about what good parents she had, and how good they were to her. Now, she was anxious to get back to them. Large flat stones lay across the stream to walk on and, when Sally had crossed them, she found there were more stones set in the opposite bank to form a stairway. She approached the large porch made from rough cut boards cautiously. Sally knew she was not supposed to speak to strangers, but somehow she felt at ease about knocking on this door.

A tall man with a beard, dressed as Sally had never seen people dressed, answered the door. "Well, hello, little miss."

"Sir, my name is Sally Woods. My father had a flat tire on the car, and I went into the woods to pick flowers and got lost. I'm afraid I don't know where the highway is. Could you help me, sir?"

The man looked at her quizzically, as he stroked the grey beard. "You speak of things of which I have not heard, little miss."

Sally looked at the man with a puzzled looked on her face. She wondered how a man would not have heard of a tire, or car, or a highway. Then, a girl about Sally's age appeared behind the man.

"Who is our visitor, father?"

"This is Miss Sally Woods. Miss Woods, this is my daughter, Christina."

"Hello, Christina. I'm lost and need to find my way back to the highway."

Now, the girl looked at her strangely and asked, "What is a highway, father?"

Her father just smiled and asked Sally to come into the cabin, as he stepped aside for her to enter.

She stood inside the cabin, looking around at what she thought only existed in a museum. All the furniture was crudely made, as if it had been carved by hand. A large table with two crudely made benches alongside was piled high with food. Sally was hungry from her long trek through the woods and the food smelled great!

The man asked, "From where do you hail, little miss?"

"I, uh, I hail from Missouri." She wasn't sure if she'd answered right, not sure of its meaning.

"Be you hungry, Miss Sally Woods?"

"Yes, sir, as a matter of fact, I am."

"Then you shall join us at the table next to my daughter. This be my wife, Mrs. Mary Taylor. This fine young man be my son Andrew, who has come to the age of asking the blessing on our Lord's birthday."

Sally didn't know what to make of these people. They dressed strangely, and they spoke strangely, like no one she had ever met. When Andrew bowed his head and started to speak, she also bowed her head, as the others followed suit.

"Father in Heaven, Thou knowest how we love Thee. We pray we may always please Thee with our actions, our words and our deeds. Lord, we ask that Thee bless each of us and teach us Thy way. And please, especially bless our very welcome guest, Miss Sally Woods, and help her to understand what Thy birthday is truly about. We pray we may always honor and respect your children and especially, your Son. We ask these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."

When offered the large plates of food, Sally did not hesitate to help herself.

With the meal over, Mister Taylor sat in the large chair by the fireplace and asked Sally, "Now, Miss Sally Woods, tell me what these things are of which you speak. The car, the highway and the tire."

"Sir, are you teasing me? Everyone knows what they are."

"I would not tease a little miss. Truly, I have not heard of these things."

When Sally had finished explaining to him, he had a look of amusement on his face and said, "Little miss, you either have a very strange imagination, or the evil one has sent you to try us." She had no idea what he was talking about!

"Do you celebrate the Lord's birthday as we do, little miss?"

"We go to my grandmother's house every year for Christmas."

"And do you have a brother of the age to ask the blessing?"

"I am an only child. I have no brothers or sisters at all."

"Then your father asks the blessing?" When Sally seemed to be embarrassed by the question, Mister Taylor said, "Little miss, sit here with us and let me tell you about our Lord, and why we celebrate his birthday."

When the three children had seated themselves on the hearth he began:

"Our Lord was born a long time ago in a town called Bethlehem. He was the only son of God and was called Jesus. The Lord sent him to us, so he might forgive our sins and teach us to walk in the way of the Lord. He went about telling people of God's love and mercy. Jesus had very special powers. He could put His hand on the eyes of the blind man, and the man could see again. He could lay His hands on the crippled and they were no longer crippled, but walked upright. He could raise the dead to life again. He could make the ill, well. There was nothing beyond His power. He could make even the most doubtful of sinners see the Way.

Once, when a young man came to a gathering where Jesus was teaching, hoping to make a fool of Jesus, our Lord showed the young man how He was merciful. The young man had a bird concealed in his hand. He asked Jesus if the bird was alive or dead. If Jesus answered that the bird was alive, the man would crush it before opening his hand. If our Lord said the bird was dead, the young man would open his hand and let the bird fly away. Our Lord knew what the young man was up to, but instead of condemning him, Jesus said, "It is up to you whether the bird is alive or dead, young man."

You see, Miss Sally Woods, Jesus didn't want to make a fool of, or have revenge on the young man, but rather He wanted to tell the young man that life or death was his choice. What he was really saying was, the young man himself could choose to believe in the Lord and have eternal life, or he could choose not to believe and be one of the dead souls who would never see our God the Father face to face."

"Jesus taught his Disciples they could also heal and render to the people the word of the Lord. He knew He must have those who could carry on his work, for He knew He must in the end, die for all our sins. He knew He would die at the hands of the non-believers, who lived in and ruled the land. They were sorely afraid of Jesus - His power to take the people's allegiance away from them. Jesus taught the people there was only one true King. That King was God. Our Lord was hung on a wooden cross among thieves, with nails driven through his hands and feet to affix him to the cross. There, he hung dying until a soldier ran a sword into his side to end it. Three days later, He walked once more among His Disciples, proving He had conquered death. "

"When Jesus was born, it was that He might die for all of us who sin. He gave His very life for you and me, so we might live in Heaven with Him one day. You see, when we give each other gifts at Christmas, we are doing it to celebrate the greatest gift man has ever received. The gift of eternal life. That is the gift Jesus gave us, and that is why we still celebrate his birthday after all these years. The important thing for us to remember, is to thank Him every day for His gift by loving not only Him, but one another, as well."

Sally had never heard this story before, and she thought it was beautiful. She also knew somehow, these people, the Taylor family, were very special. When Mister Taylor was through telling the story, he told Christina she should give Sally a very special gift for this Christmas.

Christina said, "I shall give you my most prized possession." She climbed the ladder to the loft and returned shortly with a beautiful small wooden box. She handed it to Sally and told her to open it.

When Sally raised the lid she found the most beautiful doll she had ever seen. It was an angel doll. The face was beautifully painted on porcelain, the dress was of silk, and it had long, golden blonde hair that shimmered like real gold.

"I cannot accept this. It is much too beautiful for you to give away."

"You must accept it. It is part of God's plan, Sally."

Mister Taylor said, "Christina, you and Little Miss Sally place it in the secret place on the hearth. She may retrieve it when she brings her parents back with her."

This confused Sally, to say the least, but she followed Christina to the hearth, where she pulled a stone aside. There was a small chamber beneath the stone, in which Christina placed the box.

Mister Taylor said, "Little Miss Sally Woods, we have truly enjoyed having you as our guest for Christmas. God bless you."

Before sally could answer, there was a knock on the door. The Taylors seemed to ignore it. Then, the knock was much louder. Sally sprang upright in her bed! Her mother's voice came from the other side of the door, "Sally, honey, time to get up."

"Yes, mother." It had all been a dream! But it seemed so real! She shook her head and said aloud, "Wow! What a dream!"

When Sally was dressed and walked into the living room, she wore jeans and the oldest shirt she owned.

"Sally, why are you wearing such old clothes?"

"Oh, I dunno, mother. I just felt like it."

"Well, your father said we can stay home today if you like."

"Oh no, I want to go to Grandma's"

"I thought you didn't want to go?"

"I didn't, but I do now."

"Well, you'd better put on some nice clothes after you open your presents."

"May I open them when we get home?"

"I suppose so. What in the world has gotten into you, Sally?"

Sally had no answer. She just shrugged her shoulders and went to kiss her father good morning. This surprised him. As much as they all loved one another, they weren't in the habit of showing it in such a way.

"I'd rather go to grandma's dressed just as I am if it's okay."

"I guess so, but why?"

Sally smiled at her and said, "I'm sure Jesus didn't wear fine clothes." Now her mother was confused!

When Sally's father asked her if she wanted to stop for breakfast somewhere different this year she told him, "No. I know you like going to the regular place, so it's fine."

After breakfast, they started down the road toward her grandmother's, and had gotten just a few miles when Sally saw the exact spot where her father had stopped the car in her dream. Just a short distance beyond, a side road ran off the highway.

"Daddy, would you do something for me?" It was the first time she had called him "daddy" in several years.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Would you turn down the road to the right up head?"

"What on earth for?"

"I just want to see something."

He looked at her mother and, smiling, shrugged his shoulders. They turned down the road and, within a short distance, came to a small bridge across a creek. "Stop right here, daddy!"

"What in the world is going on, Sally?"

"I want to pick some wildflowers for grandma."

"But there are no flowers this time of year!"

"I want to look, anyway. There might be." She was out of the car and walking along the creek as soon as he had pulled off the road. A short distance into the woods, they were totally confounded to see wildflowers blooming in the middle of the winter! They followed her along the side of the small stream until she seemed to find what she was looking for. "Mom, Dad, come here, quick!" When they caught up with her she said, "Look, someone has placed stepping stones across the creek."

Of course, they weren't impressed too much with this discovery, but followed her across the creek and up the stones steps on the other side, which were all overgrown with flowers and weeds.

They followed, as she continued on to where she found a pile of stones where the fireplace of the cabin had been. The huge chimney had tumbled down on top of the hearth, and Sally asked her dad to help her clear some of them away.

He shook his head and asked, "What in the world for, Sally? You are certainly acting strangely!"

"Please help, Daddy."

He started throwing the stones aside and, in about fifteen minutes, the corner of the hearth was exposed. Staring at the ash and dirt covered hearth with a strange look on his face, Sally’s father motioned for her mother to come look at it. There, on the top corner of the hearth, was an inscription:

Merry Christmas Miss Sally Woods

The Taylor Family. December 25, 1857.

Of course, they knew it would be a great coincidence, but they knew there could have been a girl with the same name as their daughter back in 1857. Then, Sally asked her father to help her move a large stone that lay in front of the hearth. When it was out of the way, she slid the secret stone aside, withdrew the fine wooden box and opened it. "Look Mother."

Her mother looked at the beautiful doll that was exactly as Sally had seen it in her dream. "How did you know it was there?"

"Why don't we go back to the car and go to grandma's. I'll tell you on the way."

When they were in the car and moving again, Sally told them all about her dream. They both looked at the doll in the box, and at the beautiful bouquet of flowers they had picked for Sally's grandma. Suddenly, they both realized the flowers were no longer there when they came out of the woods! The bouquet lay on the seat between them, and Sally's mother stared at them as if she had been hypnotized. Needless to say, Sally's parents were dumfounded by all this. Finally, Sally was finished with her story and asked, "You do believe me, don't you?"

"How could we not believe you? You knew exactly where the doll was, and the inscription and ....." Her voice trailed off, confused.

Sally understood their confusion and smiled. As they drove toward her grandma's house, she thought about how she could give her parents and her grandma a truly good gift for Christmas. This must be a special Christmas for them also. "Mom, Dad, may I ask the blessing before we have dinner?"

"Yes, I suppose so, Sally." More confusion filled their faces and thoughts.

"Then, after dinner, I would like to give everyone a very special gift for this Christmas. I would like to tell them the story of Jesus Christ."