A Blessing and a Gift

Our family had three Christmas get-togethers to accommodate different people’s schedules, but the one I want to tell you about took place on New Year’s Eve!

The three five-year-olds, Tommy, Tina, and Tommy’s friend Ty, play happily downstairs (Tina has a big family room with a fireplace) until dinnertime.

Tommy and Tina elect to say the blessing before dinner, and enumerate reasons for being thankful in their blessings. Wanting to join them, Ty announces, “I love my mommy the best.”

After dinner, which includes Richard’s famous yams with butter, brown sugar and milk, and ends with blueberry cream cheese tarts, it’s time for the Bible story.

Richard chooses the account in Luke 2, which tells of the shepherds who see the angels and come to worship the new baby King. Tina, who normally likes stories, can barely sit still. As soon as Richard finishes, she leaps up excitedly and shows us the pictures from her book “The Crippled Lamb.” It tells the story of a little lamb that can’t go to pasture with the others, but ends up keeping Baby Jesus warm that first Christmas.

It’s time for Richard to pray. But wait! Two eager volunteers step up to the plate. Tommy and Tina pray, giving thanks for Baby Jesus. Ty says a simple “Thank you.”

Rick has bought some really interesting gifts. One for Tina is a plastic model of a person featuring bones, muscles and organs. This is especially appropriate considering a game she and I had played earlier that day.

Dolly had been dragged by a dog she was taking for a walk and had fallen on the sidewalk, injuring her head. Poor Dolly’s brains had fallen down to her feet. I suggested buying her protective shoes, but Tina opted for surgery. Good choice. We operated on Dolly’s head and her brains migrated up to her hands. From there Tina was able to slide them back up to Dolly’s head.

The model of the human body is quite intricate, but Rick and Tina manage to take it apart and get it together again—with the brain inside the skull!

Our beautiful evening ends as Maria packs up leftovers for us and she and Tina prepare to walk the dog. A rescued animal, Mandy will be a permanent member of Maria and Tina’s household if Tina sustains her commitment to care for her. If not, Maria has another good home standing by.

“God bless us, every one!”

“Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.”
Psalm 127:3 (Contemporary English Version)