The author of this story is unknown and it has been told by many people throughout the years. The gentleman I’m going to introduce was not a Scrooge, but a kind, decent man and generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other people.
He just could not understand how or why Jesus came to Earth to save us from our sin. It did not make sense, and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. “I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you and the kids to church this Christmas Eve.”
He went on to say he would feel like a hypocrite and this year he would much rather stay home. He would just wait up and read until they returned. And so, he stayed behind as the family went to the candlelight service.
Shortly after the family drove away, snow began to fall. He went to the window and watched as the flurries were becoming heavier and then went back to his chair in front of the fire to finish reading his newspaper. A short while later he heard a thudding sound, then another, and then another.
His first thought was that it sounded like someone throwing snowballs against his living room picture window. As he opened the front door to investigate, he found several birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter, did not realize the glass barrier was keeping them from entering the safety of his home.