Day 23: The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 23

Reilly was out the door and half-way down the block before you could say, “St. Nick.” He stopped by the precinct to question a few cons who had been guests of the city for the holidays. With bribes of cookies and eggnog, he got the information he needed. Hailing a taxi, he headed to Barnaby’s. 

Outside an old brownstone in a quiet part of town, Reilly pulled out his nightstick and eased open the door. Not a creature was stirring as he mounted the stairs. Barnaby was dreaming of gold-encrusted sugar plums, he’d bet. Reilly stopped on the landing outside of Barnaby’s door. The door was ajar. 

This would be easy.

Reilly eased open the door and peeked inside. The apartment was empty. Cautiously, he entered. The rooms were stripped, drawers standing open and closets and shelves bare. A wooden table stood in the center of the tiny kitchen. Something fluttered to the floor as Reilly entered. An envelope. 

An envelope addressed to him. 

A  Message for Us: Hebrews 2:16-18 So notice—His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested. (The Voice)

Challenge: God addressed an envelope to humanity. He delivered it in the manger at Bethlehem. The message inside told of his love. Jesus became human so that we might understand that message. He didn’t come in the form of a deity. He didn’t come in the form of a king. He came as a child so that we might recognize him as one of us. 

Have you opened God’s envelope today? What message do you read? Read about his love today. Read your Bible or Google “God’s love.” So many verses will pop up that you might just shut down the internet. Copy one verse that speaks to you. Put it in an envelope to save. Open it every day to remind yourself of what Jesus has done and will do for us all.