By: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

An Indian friend who is running a dollar shop inside the Kipling Plaza is so quiet that anyone who visits his store to do shopping first takes note of his patience in dealing with customers.
Yes he respects customer’s decisions since that makes him sells a lot of his goods so even if you angrily storm out from the store after refusing to buy an item he will not chase you or exchange words with you.
So many people have been taking his patience for granted as they visit his store and try to pilfer sometimes. Some were successful others were caught.
One day, a guy dressed up for a birth day party only to realize later that his perfume was finished and has to get a new one to keep a nice fragrance on him for the occasion.
He hatched a plan to visit this Indian store and pretend buying one of the best perfumes only if he would be allowed to spray it on himself before buying.
After he has sprayed it into the shirt he was wearing and started to smell good, he refused to buy the spray that it was expensive and this Indian store owner allowed him to go without exchanging words with him or expressed his anger in anyway.
Fortunately or unfortunately for this cheat, the fragrance on him made him appeared the most gentleman at the occasion as the sweet scented perfume drew a lot of peoples attention to him who frequently asked,” where did you get that perfume from?”.
This guy who thought he was smart and that he was able to get a free stuff from this store owner began to think differently now.
“Oops I thought I was just getting smart on that guy eh now everybody is asking me where I got that perfume from so they could go and buy one for themselves”.
How am I going to convince the store owner to sell the stuff to me this time since I rudely stormed out of the store in my bid to have a free perfume sprayed on me to look good?
It was a difficult question to answer but he mustered courage and went back to the Store owner who welcomed him nicely.
“How did you feel with that perfume on you that day” he asked quickly. It was great as everyone gave me compliments for that and that is why I am here. Please give me ten bottles to buy for friends and love ones.
The store owner was so shocked because he never thought this guy will come back and even if he will he was going to be smart this time and not let him have free meal as he did last time.
But lo and behold, he came back this time with a different mission. So happy and humble this time he asked for ten bottles of same brand of perfume to buy and distribute to friends and love ones who wants some.
That is the way many of us Christians are behaving in this present world. We know with Christ our life could be made whole or become perfect but we come to Christ and commit so many sins and run away from him.
We get into the sinful world thinking we have cheated Christ by taking away some of the good stuff he gave us free of charge without paying dime for it.
Things begin to get hard on us because with our own mind soul and spirit we are not able to do anything successful.
The little stuff that we take away from Christ and decide to keep on us attracts compliments from our friends and love ones who begins to ask us where did we get that blessings from there again we begin to wonder whether to go back to Christ or not.
Never think you can cheat Christ and walk away freely into the world and all shall be well with you at all because with all your wisdom, degrees, smartness you can not do anything without God.
Christ is patiently waiting for us this occasion as we mark his birth two thousand years ago. He will never forsake you if you realize that you made a mistake by cheating him and walk away but has to come back to him.
He is so patient, kind and caring and never walks out people from him no matter how long you have stayed away from him or sinned against him. He will receive you and make you whole again.
Crimes committed against humanity are punishable but sins we commit against God are forgiven when we realize that we have sinned and plead for forgiveness.
So why don’t we run away from our mischievous deeds this Christmas and even after and seek refuge from Jesus Christ whom in him has life?
Fellow Christians and non Christians alike, let us confess our sins this Christmas for Christ to forgive us, live a life worthy of praise to him so we can be assured of the eternal home in future.
The guy thought he was stealing the perfume from the store owner. But he did one thing. He kept the fragrance on him that spread to everyone who came into contact with him who wanted a copy.
He went back to the store and got ten bottles of the same perfume he has kept the fragrance on and distributed to friends and loved ones.
This tells us that if we will keep the fragrance of Christ on, we will be able to win more souls for Christ more than anything else which we are expected to as his followers.
Let us keep Christ in this Christmas and he will make our life whole for us to win souls for his kingdom.
Merry Christmas and prosperous new year to all,
Amen.