The Best Birthday Present Ever Read online

firmly, “Of course we don’t go to church! You can’t go there unless your last name is Jones. My daddy said so – he said that people who go to church are just trying to be Joneses – or … or something like that.” To have started out as confidently as she had, Lucy wasn’t feeling quite so sure of herself when she finished, and she didn’t like that one little bit.

  “Can I tell you a story Lucy?” asked the old woman.

  “Sure, I love stories!” Lucy replied, momentarily forgetting her feeling of uncertainty, and the old familiar anger began to well up within her – again.

  “Hey, wait a minute! How did you know my name?” Lucy suddenly realized that the old woman had called her by name, and that realization brought just a little fear, which in turn ushered in anger once again. “I didn’t tell you my name is Lucy!”

  “I’m sure you did, anyway…” began the old woman. This was all that Lucy heard though. She had gotten settled in beside the old woman, expecting to hear a very exciting story. Instead, Lucy began to feel very sleepy. She just couldn’t seem to stop yawning, and sleep seemed inevitable.

  “Where am I? Where is the old lady?” Lucy asked the questions aloud, but there seemed to be no one there to answer her. She began to blink vigorously and rub her eyes. “What’s going on here?” Once again, Lucy received no answer.

  As her eyes began to focus on her new surroundings, Lucy saw that she was inside a small shed with animals in it. Once more the brave explorer in a new territory, she moved forward and was suddenly confronted by a very bright light.

  “Turn off that light!” Lucy demanded loudly, closing her eyes. “It’s hurting my eyes!”

  Slowly Lucy opened her eyes once more. The light was still there, but it didn’t seem to hurt anymore. She noticed how warm and friendly the light seemed, and moved closer. Right there in front of Lucy was a small box with some kind of straw in it. She glanced up and saw three very strangely dressed men kneeling down in front of the box. On the ground were three small brightly-colored packages. At any other time Lucy would have felt her usual combination of fear and anger, but that was not the case this time. Instead she felt strangely happy (a fairly new feeling for Lucy), and curious at the same time.

  “Whose presents are those? What’s in them?”

  Beginning to feel slightly frustrated now, Lucy asked loudly “Isn’t anybody going to answer me?” With her questions forgotten, Lucy moved closer to the box. When she was finally able to peek over the side, she could hardly believe her eyes. There in that small straw-filled box laid a baby…a brand new baby! Lucy leaned over the box and looked at the baby curiously. At that same moment the baby turned his head and looked directly into her eyes. Then he smiled the most beautiful smile that she had ever seen!

  Lucy began to sob uncontrollably as she said “Oh he loves me, he loves me!”

  All at once, Lucy was aware of the most beautiful music she had ever heard. She looked up and saw women in long beautiful robes – women with wings…and they were singing! That must have been the beautiful music she had heard. Lucy had never had such a wonderful feeling in her whole life. Suddenly, she heard the old woman’s voice again,

  “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

  And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

  Lucy was filled with wonder and excitement as she began to understand. “Christ the Lord – Jesus Christ the Lord! Is that whose birthday I share, Jesus Christ’s?”

  “Why yes it is Lucy.” The old woman answered.

  “I didn’t know! Oh I didn’t know!” Lucy shouted excitedly as she ran toward the front door of the old house. Before she flung the door open, Lucy ran back and threw her arms around the old woman’s neck as she hugged her tightly. “Thank you! Thank you for showing me! Goodbye!” Lucy called out as she headed out the door, down the steps and towards home as fast as she could go. She was so excited that she even forgot her old sled with the chipping paint.

  “Mom! Mom!” Where are you Mom?” Lucy began calling out as soon as she reached her own back door.

  “Here I am Lucy, in the kitchen. What’s wrong?” her mother asked anxiously. “Are you hurt?”

  “No Mom, I’m just fine but do I have something to tell you!”

  More calmly now, Lucy’s mother said, “Come, sit down and eat your dinner. I’ve been calling you. Just where have you been young lady?”

  “Talking to the old lady in her house,” Lucy began to explain, “and Mom, let me tell you what happened!”

  Unlike Lucy, her mother didn’t get angry very often, but she certainly was now. “What old lady? What house? Lucy! You know what you’ve been told about talking to strangers…”

  Her mother was nowhere near finished with her, but Lucy couldn’t help interrupting, “Mom, please listen to me. I was there! I was really there!”

  “Stop interrupting me Lucy,” said her mother, “I know you were in the old lady’s house, you’ve already told me, and I am going to tell you something…”

  “No Mom,” Lucy interrupted again. “I was there with Jesus! He was just a baby, but He looked at me – right at me! Such love! Oh Mom, it was beautiful!”

  Lucy’s mother didn’t know what to think now as she said “Slow down Lucy. What baby? What in the world are you talking about?”

  Then right there in that tiny kitchen, Lucy shared with her mother what she had experienced. She told her all about the light, the angels, and the beautiful music that she had heard. But most important of all, Lucy shared with her mother the wonderful story that had come to life for her. By the time she was through, both she and her mother were in tears, but they were tears of joy – not sorrow. Just about that time, Lucy’s father came home from work.

  “What is all this?” Lucy’s father asked as he walked into the kitchen. “Why all the tears? It’s Christmas Eve and we’ve got a party to go to!”

  Even as brave and outspoken as Lucy always appeared to be, it was very unusual for her to question her father, but this night was definitely an exception. “Oh Daddy, please, could we go to church tonight instead?”

  This emotional outburst surprised Lucy’s father as much as it did her, and as he tried to recover he said, “Church? What in the world do you want to go there for?” Beginning to feel just slightly more uncomfortable than before, he tried to bring things back to normal. “Hey look – everybody’s going to be at the office party and I told them we’d be there too.”

  “Dear,” Lucy’s mother began to speak to her husband, “this is very important to Lucy, and…” she began hesitantly, “and I think it could be for all of us.”

  With a feeling of willing compromise, mixed with a little nervousness, everyone began to ready themselves for the outing. They all went out the front door together, with Lucy’s mother carrying a little-used Bible that her grandmother had given to her on her eighth birthday.

  There was a small church near their house, so Lucy and her parents walked there together in silence, not really knowing what to
expect, but determined to go regardless. When they arrived, the church was already beginning to fill, but they found three spaces near the front. People all around them were smiling and welcoming them warmly. The preacher stepped up to the pulpit and motioned for the congregation to stand. Everyone then began to sing, and joy seemed to fill the air around them all.

  After everyone had been seated, the preacher came from behind the pulpit and said, “On this very special night, I would like to read an equally special passage from Luke 2, verses 8 through 16. Please follow with me in your Bibles.”

  The entire congregation joined together and began to read. As Lucy looked at the words in her mother’s Bible, she remembered what the old woman had told her. “That’s just what she said,” Lucy whispered quietly to herself.

  After the church service was over, Lucy and her family slowly began walking home. They were still silent, but there was a definite difference in each of them – they were truly happy! All three were joyously remembering the good news that had just been shared with them.

  All of a sudden, Lucy broke away from her parents and started running. They had just reached the old house where she had met Jesus. Lucy reached the front door before either of her parents really knew what was happening. She began knocking frantically at the door that she had gone through earlier that day, and called out in a very excited voice “Are you in there – are you there?