Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Verity, Special Edition - The Christmas Pageant


“Verity - the quality or state of being true or real; Balderdash – nonsense.”
Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary

The Christmas Pageant
Verities & Balderdash – Special Edition
By Bob Robinson

I can’t remember if I’ve published this in the past… makes no difference as it’s worth another read. Enjoy this Special Edition of Verities & Balderdash as you prepare for the coming Christmas Celebration.

  

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 23 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 25,000 diapers,
never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more
than 30 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.

Remember, verities should be thought provoking; balderdash is nonsense.
See you next time.

Bob Robinson is the retired editor of The Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio. If you wish to receive a daily notification of his comments, opinions and reports, send your email address to: opinionsbybob@gmail.com. Feel free to express your views.

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