It was 10:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, and stores were closing, except for larger chain stores determined to drain the last dollar from last-minute shoppers. Department store Santas and store clerks would be rushing home to spend time with their families.

 

       Clifford Hastings peeked out his living room window to see blinking lights and decorations sparkling in the snow-covered lawns of his neighborhood. It was a time for cheerfulness and thanksgiving, yet there was a hollowness in his chest. Connie was not with him for the celebration, nor could she ever be again.

 

       Though his wife had passed away two years ago, his ten-year-old daughter was preparing for bed in a room down the hall. Emily was a bright, loving, and beautiful child that he adored. The death of her mother had been extremely difficult for her, but the tragic event had caused their attachment to grow stronger.

     As he walked to her bedroom door to say goodnight, he heard Emily praying.

    “Dear God, thank you for watching over my dad and me. Please tell my mother that we’re fine and that we miss her so much. Tomorrow we celebrate Jesus’s birthday, and if you find it in your heart to hear my wish, please help me find the ring my mother gave me before she died. I was careless and must have fallen off my finger while I played in the park after school. I think it would break my father’s heart if he knew I’d lost something so important. I won’t ask for any other Christmas present if you’ll help me find it. In your name, I pray. Amen.”

     Clifford stepped away from the door to compose himself and wipe away the tears. The ring was something he had bought his wife on a whim on a vacation in Arizona while she was pregnant with Lily. It was inexpensive—less than twenty-five dollars—but they had laughed and claimed it was magic and would ensure their new family would always be together in love and peace.

     He knocked, entered her room, and kissed her head.

 

     “You sleep tight. I need to do something, so I’ll get Mrs. Stanford next door to come over while I’m gone. Sweet dreams, precious.”

    “It’s cold outside, Daddy. You wear your warm coat.”

    “I will.”

     When his neighbor arrived, he hurried to the park. The temperature was near freezing, and the snow would cover anything as small as a ring. But he had to try. For nearly an hour, he searched the grounds of the park, his flashlight dancing across the snow as he moved from place to place, looking for a blue sparkle.

     “Hey there! What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”

     The harsh confrontation made him jump. A policeman shined his own flashlight on Clifford’s face.

     "Sorry, officer, I know it’s late,” and he introduced himself and explained his daughter’s wish and his determination to find the ring.

     “Is it valuable, Mr. Hastings?”

  

     “No, not in wealth, but extremely so in sentiment for me and Lilly.”

    The policeman reached out his hand.

 

    “I’m Paul. Let me help you look.”

     Near midnight, lights from a nearby church flooded the park as the doors opened and people emerged from worship. Some of the members stopped to inquire about what was happening. Upon hearing the story, they called for others in the congregation to come help in the search. They were an impromptu team, driven by the spirit of Christmas.

     It was one in the morning before Clifford called an end to the hunt and thanked everyone.

    Walking home he was tired and heartbroken. A homeless man covered in a blanket lay under a cardboard tent. His eyes were open. A baseball cap on his head had a marine insignia.

     “Hey, you look cold. I’ll bring you a blanket. I’ll be right back.”

    The man sat up. Sharp blue eyes in a hardened, withered face studied Clifford for a moment.

     “I’m warm enough, sir, but I could really use some nourishment. Can you spare a dollar?”

     “You won’t find any diner open at this hour on Christmas eve.”

    Could he trust a homeless man to be honest and stable? If he invited him home for a warm meal, would it put Lily in danger? The compassion others had shown him tonight overshadowed his doubts.

     “I can cook a warm breakfast for you if you’d like.”

     The man eagerly took him up on the offer. He introduced himself as John as they walked home.

     Clifford thanked Mrs. Stanford. She told him she was sorry he had been unable to find the ring.

    After she left, John asked, “You were out in this weather looking for a lost ring?”

     Clifford told him the story of his daughter’s prayer, the desperate search, and the kindhearted people who helped him.

    “Tell me what the ring looks like. I’ll take another look for it tomorrow.”

     “It really is more sentimental than valuable. It’s silver and has an artificial blue sapphire gemstone. I would just buy her another, but this one was from her mother. It means so much to her.”

     Clifford thought he saw a flicker of a smile cross John’s face, but it was only for an instant.

    “John, you’re welcome to sleep here on the couch. It’ll be warmer than that box tent.”

     “That’s very kind of you, but I have to get back to protect the few possessions I have. Thanks for the warm meal.”

 

 ****

     Christmas morning was beautiful. Sunlight sparkled off the snow-covered ground, and the twinkling lights from yard decorations spread cheer in the neighborhood.

     Lilly was happy with her gifts, but her eyes held a sadness that weighed like a stone in his heart. The doorbell rang as they sat down for breakfast.

     No one was there when he opened it, but on the threshold was a box wrapped in newspaper and a note with Clifford’s name.

     “I found this yesterday afternoon in the park. I wish I could have spared you the search and the heartache.”

    He handed the gift to Lilly to open.

    “Who is it from?”

     “A very special man I met last night.”

    When she found her mother’s ring in the box, amid laughter and tears, she ran to hug Clifford’s neck.

    “He found Mom’s ring! I was so worried that you would be mad at me. I prayed that someone would find it, and someone did. We have to thank him.”

    Together, they dressed and rushed to the corner where John had slept. John, the blanket, and cardboard tent were gone.

     Near the wall was a Santa hat.