Sunday, December 6, 2009

The Christmas Pageant



My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time) for five years
but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide.

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us
with another son. The following year, He blessed us with yet another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter. My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it As a minister once told me, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint Him. I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding... when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs. When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than the mess.

In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal
and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time,I still thank God daily for my children. While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't even come close...I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to"wash up" Jesus, too.

Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life,

and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his "last wife."

My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man.
This was their moment to shine. My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line,
"We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said,
"The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes."

A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur." The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation.

"I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," laughed the pastor ,
wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."

"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing,

" I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin..

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.

Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher .

Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.

Had no army, yet Kings feared Him.

He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.


(Thanks Stephanie for sending this great story!)

9 comments:

  1. What a great post!!!

    Brings back sooooo many memories..

    Enjoy....LindaMay

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  2. What memories... I set here grining with my memories too. yet the ending brought tears to my eyes as I read about my Savior and coming King.
    thank you for sharing this today. I am in from snow and black ice and this old women is having Tv preacher John Hagee and David Jeremiah for church today.

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  3. Great story...children make life so good don't they! What would our lives be like without them...or Jesus Christ? Thank God for giving us both! Come say hi :D

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  4. I started laughing and could not stop. This was priceless, Joyce.

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  5. There's not a Mother anywhere who would not enjoy this post. LOVED IT!! LOL

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  6. I loved that post! I can remember and relate to that way back when my kids were little.

    My own grandson was singing and the little boy next to him was really too close - and they started pushing and shoving each other - just a little bit - enough to be cute. Good memory.

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  7. Thank you for that post...makes you really think about life.

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  8. Iremember when my 4 year old son Parker played Joseph with a little girl Mary and the pastor's baby son Caleb, er Jesus. They had their little towells on and one across their head and looked so precious. Parker or Joseph didn't crack a smile, was so serious, though his eyes kept darting about looking for us; a sign that we'd be right there if that baby started wailing. The world was so different those 20 years ago; everything seemed like all was going to be fine; so much to look forward to. Parker is married now and trying to get into graduate school, has his whole life in front of him. I still love him so.

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  9. Such a great story, Joycee! Thanks for sharing it with us. I'm so so touched.

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