A Christmas Pageant Story

My husband & I had been happily married 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.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!