Christmas Season (2006)
Jump ahead to the next Christmas season, 2006. I was so excited to have a full holiday season to share the message of the Christmas Jars book with family, friends, coworkers and customers. I set a lofty goal of selling 100 copies that season. It was a lofty goal because nobody had heard much about it and we weren't supposed to be carrying it. The only reason we were is because I had ordered it in. I was bound and determined to get this little jar tradition going in as many households as possible!
I started to experience an interesting phenomenon. Many customers who walked out of the store with a copy of Christmas Jars returned days later to buy 5, 10, 15 more copies, one for each of their friends and family members. It really was an incredible thing to see. In fact, I started to tell the customers they might as well buy their ten copies now and save themselves another trip later in the week!
One day, a lady came into the store on her way to Pennsylvania. She was visiting for a few days before she continued on her journey. She wanted book suggestions for all of her grandchildren. I helped her and then suggested she read Christmas Jars. She apologized and said she didn't read much. I told her a little bit about the story and asked her to try it. It took a lot of convincing but she agreed and thanked me. If I recall correctly, I think I told her I'd buy her copy from her if she didn't love it!
Two days later that same lady came in and found me up by the cash registers. She had a stack of Christmas Jars books that she was purchasing and a jar in her hands. She thanked me over and over for suggesting she read the book and as a thank you she handed me the most beautiful jar I had ever seen and asked me to use it for my jar this year. In addition, she began to cry as she pulled a photograph out of her pocket. The photograph had a picture of her and another woman, both in their mid 50's or so. She said to me, "See this woman? This is my sister who I only just found two weeks ago. We were separated when we were little and adopted by two different families". If you've read Christmas Jars, you know the topic of adoption and reuniting with birth parents is part of the story. This woman thanked me again and hugged me. Both of our eyes were wet with tears.
I was so taken back by how much my little book recommendation touched her. You just never know how a small act of kindness or in this case a book recommendation, can impact the life of another person. I have never seen this woman again but I know her life is forever changed because she read the book and mine has been changed for good because I met her and heard her story. To this day I think of her every time the Christmas season comes along and I start recommending Christmas Jars to customers. It's people like her that reinforce my passion for the Christmas Jar tradition and are the reason I continue to suggest Christmas Jars, by Jason F. Wright.
This was the year I decided to make the Christmas Jar my own little ministry!
To be continued.....
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