I don’t always think to put a Christmas card out for our mail carrier. After all, we have several carriers and also substitutes. How would I know to whom it would or should go? How many are needed? How would I address it?
Add to that, I wondered if the card would get lost in the shuffle and dropped into the post office mailbox by mistake. I had placed a bunch of Christmas cards in my mailbox to be mailed one day. On the top of that pile, I had placed the one without the postage stamp.
Well, I have a little story to share with you just a few days before Christmas. I’ll leave the gift wrapping and cleaning on hold for a few minutes so that I can tell you.
Yesterday, a mail truck pulled up in my driveway to deliver a heavy package. It was filled with the extra books I had sent back from Texas. You see, I was recently in San Antonio, Texas to present on Mary and the Eucharist. Any books that are left over from my book signing, I send back home.
The friendly and energetic young man came to my door. I greeted him and asked if there was another box as well. I had shipped two from Texas.
“No, just this one,” he said.
Then he added, “By the way, do you know my godparents, ‘so and so’?”
“Yes! I do? What made you think I’d know them?” I was a bit puzzled because they live about an hour’s distance away.
“Well, they told me that you were going to speak in ‘such and such place’ awhile back and I told them I thought that you were on my mail route!”
“Wow!” I think I said to him after learning this interesting “coincidence.” Suddenly a thought popped into my head. Did he find the card in our mailbox awhile back or someone else? Should I ask him? Maybe not, because he might not have been the one.
Before I could ask though, he said, “Thank you for the Christmas card and note, by the way.”
Ahh! I thought. He was the one that got the card. It didn’t get lost after all.
I had left a Christmas card addressed to “Our Mail Carrier” for whomever was going to find it. I included a monetary tip and a holy card. Even though the Christmas card I wrote out to him wouldn’t be “religious” (so as not to offend anyone), it did mention “Christmas.” And I couldn’t help but include a holy card, hoping it could be inspiring to whomever saw it. You never know … it could be just the message someone needs at this time of year.
Well, it gets even better. And that is why I have to pause from the “million” things I need to do today before Mass tonight so that I can share with you.
Our mail carrier made mention again about the card. He said he had been away from church for a while now and he knows he needs to get back. He said the holy card touched his heart.
AND, he happened to open my Christmas card in front of his Mother and her eyes caught sight of the holy card. She said, “You see!!!” She had been asking him to get back to church.
As you can imagine, my heart was rejoicing — so very happy that my little gesture of love could touch someone’s heart and that it meant something profound to him. He then told me he’d like to talk with me more.
I ran inside to get my business card to give to him so that he could get in touch. He then reminded me, “Well, I’ll see you again! I still have to deliver that second package!”
I didn’t want to delay him. No doubt, he had a busy day of deliveries ahead of him. We bid good bye and “Merry Christmas!” to one another.
As he headed to his mail truck, I couldn’t help myself. I shouted, “Listen to your Mother!”
He knew what I meant. He chuckled and he said, “Yes, Mothers always know what is best!”
Remember, dear Reader, your little acts of love go a very long way with God’s grace!
Merry (almost!) Christmas!
