Day 12 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 12

It had been a busy few weeks since the time Barnaby cleaned out the brownstone where the little family lived. Pickings were slim in all but the best neighborhoods. The precinct had put on a few extra cops to patrol the bulging stores in the downtown area. Uptown, private guards walked back and forth in the best neighborhoods. Barnaby climbed fire escape stairs and skimmed across the roofs of the old town. Slipping into dark apartments, he filled his bag and returned to the roof descending blocks from his mark. 

Barnaby had a system for converting his pickings from identifiable booty to hard cash. Putting on a cheap suit and carrying a valise marked “Chambers Cast Iron Pots,” he traveled to distant towns on the morning trains to fence his goods far from the city. Returning with cash, he’d pay off the bills he had run up between jobs — Barnaby had good credit with all the best vendors — and stash the rest under a loose board in his apartment. Once he had enough, he’d bet on the ponies at the local track. After scouring the racing sheets, Barnaby placed conservative bets on the favorites and slowly built up his fortune. 

The week before Christmas, Barnaby had enough for a small vacation. He’d always fancied a trip south during the cold months. Maybe Miami or New Orleans or someplace more exotic like Havana. He visited the library looking for likely spots taking home a few books to peruse before bedtime. He never bothered with a library card. After a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, Barnaby settled into his bed dreaming of palm trees and warm breezes. 

Barnaby woke with a shiver. He pushed off the covers and padded over to the table. A litter of coins decorated the table along with a pitcher of water standing in a porcelain bowl. He splashed water over his face and dried it with a fluffy white towel. He’d had that dream again: the woman in the blue dress, the cold kiddies, and a bare manger. It had haunted him for weeks. 

Shaking his head to clear it, Barnaby gazed around his room for a minute, dressed, scooped some coins from the table, and headed out the door carrying his canvas sacks.

Dream a Little Dream: Matthew 1:20-24  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (NIV)

Challenge: Dreams figure large in scripture. Joseph and Daniel interpret dreams for kings in the Old Testament changing the course of their history. Joseph, betrothed to an obviously pregnant Mary, plans to quietly divorce her, when an angel comes to him in a dream convincing him that all is as God has planned. Joseph followed the angel’s command and Jesus changed the course of our history.  What dreams are haunting you? Which come from God? Consider your dreams, waking or sleeping, in the light of God’s commands. Where are they leading you?