Dear God, I’m an 85-year-old widow living on a small pension. Someone stole my purse with $120, all I had until my next check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I invited my friends for dinner. Without that money, I can’t buy food. You’re my only hope. Please help me. Sincerely, Martha.”

Moved by the letter, the woman couldn’t get Martha’s words out of her mind. She decided to share it with her coworkers. As she read the letter aloud, everyone grew quiet. One by one, they started pulling out their wallets.

They placed the money in an envelope and sent it anonymously to her address. For the rest of the day, they couldn’t help but smile, imagining Martha’s surprise and the joy she’d feel knowing someone cared. It was the kind of warmth that reminded them what Christmas was all about.

After Christmas, another letter from Martha arrived. Curious, the workers gathered to read it:

“Dear God, Thank you for your kindness. Because of your gift of love, I had a wonderful dinner with my friends. P.S. There was $4 missing. I bet those thieves at the post office took it.”

The room fell into silence before someone let out a chuckle. Soon, laughter filled the space.

“Well, that’s gratitude for you!” one worker joked, shaking his head.

But the woman who had first read Martha’s letter couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was Martha always this skeptical, or had life made her this way? Either way, she felt oddly compelled to check in on the old woman.

So, on her next day off, she found Martha’s address and paid her a visit. The apartment was small but tidy, filled with the smell of cinnamon and old books. Martha opened the door, eyeing her visitor with suspicion.

“Can I help you?” she asked, gripping her shawl.

The woman smiled. “Hi, I work at the post office. I just wanted to check in and see how your Christmas went.