“…and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.”  ~~God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

I was a young nurse working in an office full of other medical professionals.  My closest working companion (for lack of a better word) was a woman named Donna. She was near my same age, was petite and blond and had laughing blue eyes. She was smart and funny and extremely good at her job. The only problem I had with her was that she didn’t like me very much (can you imagine?).

As Christmas neared, I noticed that while Donna remained her usual cheerful self with everyone else, she also grew nicer with me. I vividly recall one afternoon we spent working on a project. Donna joked almost nonstop and I laughed so hard, tears slipped down my cheeks. At one point my husband called. While I tried to have a brief conversation with him, Donna continued to tease. When my giggles became uncontrollable, my husband asked, “Who has you so tickled?”

“Donna,” I answered.

“Donna? The same one who sends you home most nights in a tizzy?”

For a few days — maybe a week — I thought Donna and I had bridged a gap and become friends or, at the very least, somewhat friendly. But on January 2, when we returned to the office, Donna went back to being her Scroogy self with me. Oh, well. It could have been worse.

It Could Have Been Worse?
Yes, it could have. While I was open about my faith, Donna was not a believer. In fact, this may have been the very reason Donna wasn’t so thrilled with me most days. But, as I have aged and become wiser, I have learned that the season of Christmas manages to bring out the best in most of us, not just those of us who love and worship the Christ all year (as opposed to those who simply admire Him as the babe in the manger). Had Donna been a sister in Christ, I would have been heartbroken at her actions toward me for more reasons that one.