'Walking to the back of his shop, a candy maker knelt by his chair. "Dear Lord," he prayed, "You love these kids more than I do. How can I help them know Your gift of Christmas? Show me how I can bless them...
Picking up a small bottle he carefully added three drops of peppermint to the pot. "MMMM"
he said, smelling the minty aroma, "this reminds me of the spices given by the wise man to Baby Jesus..."
I want this candy to be white because Jesus is the Holy Son of God...
And it should be a hard candy because Jesus is like a solid rock, always there when I need Him...
Standing tall, it's the shape of a shepherd's staff... and a good shepherd will do anything to save his sheep... even give his life...
Up-side-down it's the letter J... J because we celebrate Jesus' birthday at Christmas...
And a ribbon of red, for hearts and love and the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins.
Tears of joy filled the candy maker's eyes and silently he prayed, "Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers... We pray that this candy gift would be a reminder of God's perfect of love_ Jesus, and that through it, many would learn the true meaning of Christmas...
Snow fell quietly blanketing the little store, while the warmth of the wood stove and the sweet smell of candy filled the workshop. The candy maker knew that he and his granddaughter would always remember this day. They never dreamed this sweet gift would become a part of Christmas tradition around the world. Today we call it: the Candy Cane."
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How can we celebrate the greatest gift of all, Love come down?
How can we take this extravagant gift and put our hands on it and wrap our hearts up in it?
How can we lead our treasures into that sweetest of all sweet spots, Him and Him alone?
Why, with candy of course! :)
The Candymaker's Gift is a true story of one man's heart to show the children of his village the true meaning of Christmas, and in the process his own heart is overwhelmed with the joy of "the best gift of Christmas!"
So why not whip up some hot chocolate, start a fire in the pellet stove and invite some friends, new and old, and gather the kiddos in a cozy little bunch on the living room floor?
And what to give to the giver of all great gifts?
Why nothing less than our whole hearts. How about a letter or a picture? Simply an outpouring of gratitude and praise? A family of hearts poured out on paper and put courageously under the tree.
With a story and a candy cane,
Maybe, just maybe, some hearts grew a little bit closer to His?
After all, isn't Christmas all about soaking up and pouring out all that He has already given?
Love keeps coming down. :)