December 18

Scrooge will touch the robe of the Spirit and the Spirit will transport him to the home of Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit. It is Christmas day. It is here they see a family celebrating Christmas with mere meagerness. Not much of a meal, but plenty of celebration. As the family gathers together there is excitement in the air. This is the first time Scrooge sees Tiny Tim. He is unaware that his employee has a son who is not healthy, who gets around by crutch. At the end of the meal, Bob proposes:

"A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us."
Which all the family re-echoed.
"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

Scrooge takes one step toward transformation:

"Spirit," said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live."
"I see a vacant seat," replied the Ghost, "in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die."
"No, no," said Scrooge. "Oh, no, kind Spirit. Say he will be spared."
"If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race," returned the Ghost, "will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

THOUGHT TO PONDER
We can make a difference this Christmas, if we keep our eyes open to the Spirit.