Christmas Eve

I was a Christian - had no doubt about it. I was totally immersed in my church and loving every minute of it.




Then, one Christmas Eve in the middle of the sermon my minister told a story that brought the whole thing home to me. I have never been the same.



I have heard this story in many forms since then but this is the one that touched me that night.



One Christmas Eve, a mother and children were getting ready to go to church. The father was sitting in his easy chair by the fire reading the newspaper.



"I wish you would go with us." the mother said.



The father replied "You know how I feel about it. I would feel like a hypocrite if I did".



So, the mother and children left him there.



Shortly afterwords, he heard a tapping. He looked around and finally found the source. It was a bird pecking at the window.



He was afraid the bird would hurt itself so he tried shooing it away. It would not leave. It just kept right on pecking.



So the man went to the garage and opened the door hoping the bird would go in out of the cold. It did not budge.



He tried putting down a trail of bread crumbs to the garage. Still, the bird would not leave the window.



Frustrated, the man finally looked at the bird and said "I wish I could talk to you in bird language so that you would know that I am trying to help you.



Suddenly, he had a "light bulb" experience. He finally realized that God had sent Jesus to tell us all about God and to make us understand.



The man smiled a smile of understanding. He then went to join his family at church.



I pray that you have the realization that I had that night from this little story. It may be little but had such a big impact on me.



I pray you have a blessed Christmas.

© Copyright 2006 Mary Ann Chidlow (UN: merian at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.

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