A delightful, funny and inspiring novella for the season is The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson. Every inch of Christmas Valley, Oregon is about Christmas. Mrs. Santa's Diner, the Mayor dressed up as Santa, the North Pole Coffee Shop, gift shops and the Shepherd's Inn have turned it into a tourist attraction.
The Shepherd's Inn, a Bed and Breakfast run by the Pastor's wife, fills up with people who all carry with them pain or unhappiness hoping to make a new start for the holidays. When a young couple arrive in a brightly painted but broken down bus with no money the people are skeptical. When the bus parks across from the church, right in front of the Shepherd's Inn they expect someone to do something about it. The Pastor's mid-week sermon stirs some people to action. It is based on Hebrews 13:1-2. "Stay on good terms with each other; held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it." Thanks to a bossy, difficult old woman who drops in from nowhere, a stranger who is about to give birth and a live nativity the town begins to change. The don't get want they want, but they do get what they need.
I will read this story again next year. At a time when we can all become a little frantic it is good to slow down and think about the true meaning of Christmas. This book will help. A digital format for Nook or Kindle will run under $5.00 but I really don't think you will regret the purchase or forget the book.
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