As I was selecting material for this Christmas issue, I came across the following story by an unknown author. It conveys a wonderful truth: God often deputizes people to help answer prayers.

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Late December is cold in New York City, but this day was exceptionally so. A boy about ten years old stood in front of a shoe store on Broadway, barefoot, peering through the window and shivering with cold.

"What are you looking at so intently?" asked a woman who hadn't taken her eyes off of him since she had first noticed him when she was still half a block away.

"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," the boy replied.

The lady led the boy into the store, and first asked the clerk for half a dozen pairs of socks the boy's size, then for a basin of warm water, some soap, and a towel.

The clerk had never had such a request, but he soon found everything the woman had asked for.

She found a spot in the rear of the store, knelt down, and washed and dried the boy's feet. By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks.

When the boy had pulled on a pair, she bought him a pair of shoes. Then she helped the clerk put the other socks in a bag, paid for the socks and shoes, handed the bag to the boy, and gave him a smile and a pat on the head. "You will stay warmer now" was all she said.

As the woman turned to go, the astonished boy caught her by the hand, looked into her face, and with tears in his eyes asked, "Are you God's wife?"

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May you and yours share such joys with others this Christmas season.

Keith Phillips
For the Activated Family