If Only

The entire Christmas story absolutely escaped George Albright. The whole 'God born in a manger" thing was beyond him, or maybe it was just to simple for him to grasp. At least until last Christmas Eve when the snow began to fall.
He had just settled into his fireside chair and begun to read. There was a thumping sound on the window, and at first he thought someone was throwing snowballs. He went to the door and looked into the yard where he saw a small flock of birds huddled in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and then desperately tried to find shelter by flying through his large living room window. George knew he couldn't let those little creatures freeze, but how could he help them?
The barn, of course, he thought.The barn where the children keep the pony will provide shelter, if I can get the birds in there.He opened the barn doors and turned on a light, but the birds didn't move.
Maybe some food would entice them. He sprinkled bread crumbs leading to the stable door. Nothing.
He tried catching them and shooing them in. The birds went everywhere except into the barn. They were afraid of him.
"I want them to trust me. How can I convince them I only want to help?"
But every move he made tended to frighten them more. They would not follow or be pushed.
If only I could be a bird myself and mingle with them and speak their language and show them the way to the barn, they could see and understand, Just then the church bells began to chime. "O Come All Ye Faithful". Listening to the Good News, George understood and knelt in the snow with thankful belief.

The only blind person
at Christmastime
is he who has not
Christmas in his heart.
-Helen Keller