When Adam Hamilton Saw Christmas

WHEN ADAM HAMILTON SAW CHRISTMAS

Adam Hamilton tells the story of leading his youth group in Dallas, TX to south Dallas, a part of town that was largely forgotten and the remaining people who lived there had been largely forgetten as well. The neighborhood was filled with empty lots, boarded up homes and drug house. But there were two poor elderly women who probably hadn't had their homes painted in 3 decades. So the youth group went down and scraped and caulked and painted. These women came out and made a wonderful meal for the group and they sat and talked.

When Christmas came, the youth group decided they wanted to go back to south Dallas and to these two women and give them Christmas gifts and sing Christmas carols to them. They had raised more than $400 and bought gifts and cards and then wanted to give each $200 to do as they saw fit.

45 white kids got out of a bus in an all-black neighborhood in the dark of night and began singing as they walked down the street. Miss Violet peered out the window but didn't come out. So they knocked on the door and told them who they were and that they had painted her house and just wanted to sing Christmas carols to her and give her some gifts. She came out and they sung to her and then one of the kids came forward and give her a gift with a card and inside one of the youth had written, "This gift is our way of reminding you that God has not forgotten you."

Tears started to fill her eyes. And she said, "After my husband died, I was sure God has forgotten me. Tonight I know because of you and what you have done, He still remembers me and knows I am here."

And then Adam writes, It was then that I saw Christmas."