NJR Digital December 2023 Magazine

Reflections from Mayberry
/ Donna Journey
TREASURES
Many years ago at the downtown Rose’s
store in Mt. Airy, our family went Christmas
shopping. As usual, we split up and I went
with Daddy and Vickie went with Mama. Of
course, before long I spotted something on
a shelf that caught my eye. It was a tiny
plastic Nativity. It may have cost 25 cents,
but at that time a quarter was a lot of
money. Daddy saw how much I loved it and
he bought it for me. It has always been a
treasure to me. Somehow through the
years I have always kept it in a safe spot. As
the years pasted and seasons of life
passed, it became even more precious to
me. In fact, all the years I taught school (30
years total) that small plastic Nativity sat
at the base of my classroom tree. Today it
sits in my China cabinet in a special place
where I can see it year round. To me it
serves as a reminder of that special day
Daddy bought it for me and of the precious
gift that God sent to us on Christmas Day.
For 30 years I was allowed to share my
story of that tiny plastic Nativity with my
students. I emphasized to them that it’s
not the bicycles, Barbies, toy trucks, action
figures, skates or other things that matter
at Christmas.
06 NJR DIGITAL MAGAZINE
It’s all about the gift that God gave
us on Christmas. Each year as I
placed my treasure under my
classroom tree, a tear would trickle
down my face and I would thank
God for my family and pray that my
students would have someone in
their family that would share a
“Treasure” with them. I am SO
thankful that God sent a tiny baby
to save us from our sins and save
the world. Salvation is such a
precious gift! Accept it today and
find your TREASURE!
Donna