The Christmas Pageant

>> 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 wh en 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

>>

>>

>> If you believe in

>> God and in Jesus Christ His Son,

>> send this to all on your buddy list.

>>

>> GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!