Day 21 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 21

The jangle of the phone roused Reilly once more on Christmas morning. Something was up on King’s Ave. The beat cop thought the lieutenant better check it out himself. Reilly heard Jenny and the girls squealing in the parlor. Santa must have come. King’s Ave. could wait a few minutes.

“Ho, ho, ho,” he cried as he stepped into the parlor. Peals of laughter exploded around him as the girls showed off their treasures. Annie grabbed him and led him to the tree.

“Look, Daddy,” she cried. “Jesus is in the manger. Now it’s really Christmas.”

Reilly followed her gaze into the manger. Jesus slept peacefully among the animals and dolls. Mary knelt in prayer. Joseph kept watch. Angels sang with joy. Annie’s face shone with joy. Katy knelt under the tree. Reilly kept watch.

“Come, girls,” Jenny called. “Breakfast is ready. Daddy will be home for lunch and after that, we’ll all go to church.” She gave him a meaningful smile as she handed him a steaming cup of coffee and he hoped he could fulfill her prediction. 

Shrugging into his coat, Reilly cursed the beat cop under his breath, kissed the wife and the girls who were still trembling with excitement about their gifts, and trudged out into the cold. Sometimes, he hated being a cop.

Your Place at the Manger: Luke 2:13-20 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told! (MSG)

Challenge: Where do you stand at the manger? Do you worship with the angels? Do you kneel with Mary in prayer? Do you keep watch with Joseph? Do you run with the shepherds to find Jesus? Do you share the good news with everyone you meet? Do you hold these things in your heart? Reflect on the birth story of Jesus. Where do you stand? Act in that place today.