Day 11 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 11

In the following days, Barnaby followed the little family back and forth to school and church. Mama cleaned the church and swept the steps while the boys were in school then they all trooped home where the boys swept the steps of the brownstone while Mama prepared dinner. Sometimes, they stopped to pick up a few groceries. The boys ogled the candy counter while Mama counted her pennies buying a few vegetables and a drumstick or two. 

Barnaby slipped close to the window a few nights to see the boys working at the scarred table while Mama stirred soup at the stove. A single light lit the table its light falling softly on the chipped Nativity scene. Still no sign of Papa. 

After dinner, Mama bundled everyone into bed. The boys giggled for a few minutes. Baby Girl was asleep before Mama tucked them all in. Barnaby bent so close to the window glass that he almost felt the kisses she left on each forehead before returning to the kitchen to clean up. Often, she dragged a basket of mending close to the light. Always, she stopped to gaze a few minutes at the Nativity, straighten up a sheep or a shepherd, then return to her work until her eyes drooped. When she extinguished the light, Barnaby thought of Mama burrowing into bed with her little ones. 

Barnaby thought of his own bed warmed by an eiderdown quilt. Slipping off into the darkness Barnaby returned to work, shadows of the evening lingering as he swept other apartments clean. 

One of Us: Hebrews 2:11-13 For the one who makes men holy and the men who are made holy share a common humanity. So that he is not ashamed to call them his brothers, for he says: ‘I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you’.

And again, speaking as a man, he says: ‘I will put my trust in him’. And, one more instance, in these words: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me’. (J. B. Phillips)

Challenge: Jesus is with us in our daily tasks —sweeping the floors, preparing dinner, sewing on a button, tucking our children into bed, and kissing them good night. Today, feel Jesus standing with you as you go about your day. Picture him handing you a dish, setting the table, driving to work, opening a door, sharing a laugh, wiping a tear. Share this Jesus with everyone you meet as you remember that we are all part of God’s family.