Mrs. Durango and I took a trip to the mall on Saturday, seems she had a couple of last minute items she needed to get. While Mrs. Durango ran into the card store I grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and sat down at a table outside of the coffee shop.

I watched as people rushed by running from store to store in a frenzy doing their Christmas shopping. Seemed the people were being very abrupt and pushy toward one another. Christmas hustle and bustle at it’s worst. People arguing over who was first in line to pay for the overpriced items they held in their arms, arguing over who was the first one to grab that last green sweater, arguing over trivial things all in the name of “Christmas”. All these people acting so anxious and obnoxious all because “Christmas” is coming . . .

And I sat back sipping my coffee wondering if they’d all be as anxious and obnoxious if they were anticipating the Lord’s return . . . Would they all be acting the same way, pushing and shoving . . . Arguing and fighting over such meaningless things.

Then I noticed a little boy standing there in the middle of the mall, he couldn’t have been anymore than four years old. He was standing there in the middle of this hustle and bustle crying his little eyes out . . . And no one seemed to notice . . . People simply walked by the poor little guy ignoring his cries for help.

I walked over and asked the little guy why he was crying and he told me he was lost . . . He didn’t know where his Mommy was! There in the midst of the Christmas madness somehow he got separated from his mother and no one seemed to care . . . Or even notice!

I was able to attract the attention of the policeman who was patrolling the mall and explained the situation to him. He took the little guy and was able to reunite him with his mother a short time later. I returned to my coffee and waited for Mrs. Durango.

As I sat there sipping my coffee I thought about the madness going on around me . . . I thought about how that little boy got lost and forgotten in the shuffle, ignored by everyone around him because everyone was too busy getting ready for “Christmas” . . .

And then I thought about that little baby Jesus, lying there in the manger . . . And how HE seems to have been lost and forgotten in all the Christmas madness as well. May we all remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season”!

Just a thought over coffee.

Durango KR1356@aol.com