223: A Christmas in July Story

As I’m recording this, Christmas is almost six months away. I recall last Christmas, when I heard a few people say they wished we could have the Christmas spirit all year long. We can if we reflect the image and character of God. And I have a Christmas in July story for you today that shows us how.

Welcome to episode 223 of You Were Made for This, the podcast about finding joy in being the person God created each of us to be. Namely, someone who reflects the character, image, and likeness of God in all our relationships. It’s the THIS, we were made for.

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One of the things my in-laws were noted for was hosting a Christmas in July party in their small 1960s-style basement rec room. They did it up with a decorated Christmas tree, elephant gifts, loud laughter, and plenty of food. Especially my Italian mother-in-law’s signature spaghetti. It was quite a festive affair, without any of the stress that sometimes comes with Christmas in December.

With that in mind. I have a Christmas in July story for you, which actually took place last December, but that I’ve held onto it until now. It’s been hard holding it back because it’s one of my favorites.

Background to this Christmas in July story

The story I is about a man who embodies the spirit of Christmas by reflecting the character of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate on December 25th. But first I have to give you a little background information about my friend Paul.

I first met him years ago when a co-worker told me about taking her car to be fixed. She said, “My car was making a funny noise so I took in to Paul’s auto repair shop. He said it wasn’t a serious problem and would be expensive to repair. He told me if I could put up with that distracting sound, not to fix it. It’s not causing any harm. That’s what he would do if it were his car.”

This was classic Paul and the kind of business he ran.

The main character in this Christmas in July story

Paul is an avid baseball fan, and when I would take my car in for an oil change, he and I would talk briefly about baseball while one of  his mechanics worked on my car. In his reception area and waiting room he had some impressive pieces of baseball memorabilia. 

There was a large photograph of our then-new Major League Baseball stadium in Milwaukee, Miller Park, on the day it first opened. Another item was an official baseball bat signed by one of the Milwaukee Brewers. Jim Gantner, I seem to recall, but I could be wrong. All this is an important part of the story that I’ll get to later. So bear with me even if you’re not into baseball.

One Sunday morning several years after I first met Paul, I saw him from a distance in the parking lot of the large church Janet and I were attending at the time. Hmm, I thought. I wonder if he is a follower of Jesus like I am.

Depending upon the generosity of others

Now, by this time, I had closed my own recruiting business to work full-time in a missionary care ministry Janet and I helped start. To pay our bills we formed a non-profit corporation and began raising funds for our ministry. One of the people I contacted by mail was Paul, and to my surprise, he responded with a generous check. Why it surpeised meI don’t know, but it just did.

I was a pretty happy customer of Paul’s, but then one day I learned he had retired and sold his auto repair business to one of his mechanics. This didn't change anything for me because I continued to have my car serviced by the new owners, but missed seeing Paul.

Some time passed after Paul’s retirement, and one day while in for oil change I noticed all of Paul’s baseball souvenirs were gone. I didn’t say anything, except to ask if Paul was still around.

Another  character in this Christmas in July story

“Oh sure, he stops in every so often. He was here earlier this morning. You just missed him” was a common refrain I heard from the new owner. 

Fast forward to seven months ago and this past December. 

Like her mother who was noted for her Christmas in July parties, my wife Janet is noted for a snack mix she created for friends every Christmas. It’s made of pretzels, bugles, goldfish crackers, cashews and a few other secret ingredients. If you’d like to know the exact recipe, Janet and I would be glad to share it with you after dinner at your house. Wednesday evenings still work best, but we’re flexible.

Anyway, last December Janet was packaging her Christmas snack recipe for friends, and I asked her to make one up for Paul. He’s been so generous with us, it was the least we could do. I had his address from the checks he sends for our min