The Christmas Box

By Jenny Arthur
My Mother-In-Law gave me the book The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans three years ago for Christmas and upon reading it once, I vowed to read it during advent every year. It is a quick read (about 100 pages), and I highly recommend it for all parents. It is a story of a parent’s “pure love for a child, manifested first by a Father’s love for all of his children.” What was the first Christmas gift? If you don’t know the answer or you just need an inspiring tale to remind you, this is the Christmas book for you!

On Amazon.com, the review reads as follows:
Richard Paul Evans originally wrote The Christmas Box as an expression of love for his two daughters, never intending for it to be published. Many Christmas seasons (and a rich publishing contract) later, this touching tale relates the meaning of Christmas in a profound but simple way. Rick, Keri, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jenna, are hired as caretakers and are welcomed into the home of Mary, an ailing widow, just in time for the holidays. Before long, it becomes apparent that Mary cherishes their companionship, and this young family begins to understand that their relationship to Mary is more special than any one of them could have realized. These tender relationships, fraught with real-life struggles, are the backdrop for unraveling a mysterious secret that gently propels the reader through this short story. Unlike most generic Christmas stories, Evans manages to bypass triviality, imbedding these pages with humble truth and emotion. This tiny treasure will cause you to rejoice in the blessings of the season while stirring up a childlike vigor as old profundity is revealed anew.

In a season often shrouded in selfishness and materialism, Evans reminds the reader that the only way that we can genuinely love one another is by accepting the greatest gift of love ever given--that of a Father who "so loved His children that He sent His son, that we might someday return to Him."

I’m happy to loan my copy to any of you who may enjoy it this Christmas season. My only request is that you keep a tissue close so you don’t get teardrops on my cherished book!

Merry Christmas and may God Bless you and yours this joyous season....