Nearly 23 years ago I received a gift from a special lady: Four place settings of Pfaltzgraff Heritage Christmas dishes. I can’t tell you how excited I was to have my very own set of Christmas dishes.

At that time, having a set of Christmas dishes was special. There weren’t a lot of patterns out there and the few patterns available were expensive … way too expensive for a young, just-out-of-college girl working her first editor’s job.

For the next 10 years, one or another family member would give me a piece of my set for Christmas until I had six place settings and several serving dishes. For me, it wasn’t Christmas until I pulled out these dishes to use every day through the holiday. Instead of shopping on Black Friday, it’s been my ritual to unpack the Christmas dishes and fall in love with them all over again.

When we decorate the tree, we always have homemade eggnog and I make everyone use the cups and saucers from the dishes. They know they aren’t allowed to use a regular glass, so they don’t even try anymore.

A few years ago, one of my dinner plates was dropped and broke into three pieces. I glued it back together and tried to use it, but this year, it broke again and like Humpty Dumpty, it couldn’t be put back together. Sitting at a ladies’ luncheon, I asked if anyone else had Christmas dishes and what their patterns were.

In the discussion, I told them the story of mine and how I wished I had one more place setting. One of the ladies piped up and said she would look to see if there were any for sale on eBay. I thanked her for her gesture, but figured they would be way too expensive and I would just have to use one of my Fiesta Dinnerware plates to sub in for the broken Christmas plate.

The next day she emailed a couple of links to an eBay auction where there were several listings for my Christmas dishes. Knowing I was way too busy to worry about an auction on something I couldn’t afford anyway, I said, “Thank you, I will look them over.” She emailed back and said she would bid on them for me if I told her which one.

I told gave her a few options and then sat and wondered what price limit I should give her. Knowing I shouldn’t spend a dime on dishes, especially since I only had about a penny to spare, a ridiculously low price popped into my head and I gave it to her. Then I said aloud, “Lord, if you want me to have those dishes, you’re gonna have to work a miracle at that price.”

The next morning I checked my email and there was one from my friend. She said, “You won the auction!” And, of course, I started panicking: there’s no way, she probably didn’t get my email with my price in it, there’s no way I could have bought 25 pieces of my dishes for that price. Oh, no, how am I going to pay for that?

Reading further through the email, she said, “I hope I got it right, the dishes with the shipping came in below your price!” What? Below what I said I would pay? No, it couldn’t be!

I was elated. I ran and told my kids what happened and they graciously pretended to be as excited as I was. A week later, I got a text: “Your dishes are here!”

The next day I was headed over to pick them up; I couldn’t wait to use them. She greeted me at the door and said, “I opened the box to make sure they weren’t broken, and they look in good shape.” And then she made me an offer that melted my heart and amazed me. She said: “I would really like to bless you this Christmas and just give these to you, if that’s okay with you?”

What? Give them to me? Really? First I get this really great deal with more dishes than I ever thought I would get at a ridiculously low price, and now you want to give them to me? Are you kidding me?

Humbly I said, “Yes, I would love that blessing. Thank you, thank you very much.” We hugged and I left, crying in amazement.

Did I need those dishes? Absolutely not. Did I deserve more Christmas dishes? A double absolutely not! But that’s just how my God is. He showers us with love and grace, especially when we don’t deserve it, and why? Simply because He loves us.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.