Real meaning

I have been thinking a lot about what I was going to say about this Christmas holiday or what pictures I would choose to post. I think I am just going to write about what I have learned. So far, this Christmas has been the most touching and humbling one of my life. There has been more charity, love and learning than I have ever seen in one month.
It all begin at the beginning of December when we took our car in for what we thought was only an inspection to get it registered. What it ended up being was a $400 bill for fixing a broken axle. There was no way we were going to be able to pay it. What money we could fork out was what we were going to use for Christmas. Tyler's parents let us borrow their car until we could find the money to pay for our car. This went on for about a week or two. Then one day after Tyler had picked me up from work, we were pulling into the driveway when we saw our car sitting there. We just looked at each other. We didn't know what to say. We just sat there and cried. Once we got ourselves together, we went inside We called our parents to see if they had anything to do with this. They both said that they didn't know anything about it.Who could have done something so selfless? Especially when Christmas was right around the corner?
A co-worker and good friend from work knew of our money situation and decided that she wanted to help us out so I could at least get a stocking for Tyler. Tyler stayed up all night Christmas Eve to clean our apartment.
On Christmas morning:
Tyler's parents got him some much needed church clothes. We were able to talk to Warner, Tyler's brother who was on a mission. We got to make breakfast for my family and us kids got to go in on presents for my mom and dad. I got to give Tyler the framed BOM timeline that my dad helped me build. He also made a desk for Tyler to be able to do his school work. It was a very exhausting and emotional day.
I have always wanted to think of myself as someone who wouldn't care if I didn't get a thing for Christmas. That just wasn't true. But now, I can say with all my heart that I wouldn't care if I never received another gift in my life. I just need my family and Tyler with me. I am so grateful for trials and what they can teach you if you let them. Every time I am going through some kind of hard ship I think of a specific verse from this church song that we sang in young women's.
"Sometimes he lets it rain, he lets the fierce winds blow. Sometimes it takes a storm to lead a heart where it can grow. He can move mountains of grief and oceans of pain. But sometimes he lets it rain".

I truly know what it's like to give without expecting anything in return and I have learned that there really are good people in this world. I still love Christmas just as much as ever but now, for very different reasons.