Day 6 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 6

Barnaby stretched and squinted at his bedside clock. Daylight squeezed through the blinds in the bedroom. 

Time for a few more hours of shut-eye before nightfall, he thought dreamily. Wonder what Reilly’s doing about now? He snorted, rolled over, and pulled a heavy eiderdown quilt up to his chin. A satin pillowcase caressed his stubbled cheek. His plush dressing gown was thrown carelessly over a brocaded chair in the corner. Leather slippers sat waiting beside the cozy bed. Barnaby believed in living well.

Barnaby drowsed in the warm cocoon of his bed sated after his usual breakfast at Maggie’s Country Diner. Maggie had never been within throwing distance of the country but the diner boasted calico curtains and tablecloths and the floor was clean. Buttery pancakes and spicy sausages swam in the good Columbian coffee warming his insides. 

Drifting off, Barnaby found pictures from the last apartment invading his dreams. The shabby woman wore a mantle of blue and shivered in the cold. The two kiddies in ragged jackets trembled beside their mother. The girl with the teddy bear slept uncovered in the manger. Barnaby woke with a tickle of cold and pulled his quilt tighter under his chin. 

A shadow of memory floated into the room where Barnaby shivered. Back twenty years to a cold room in a fourth-floor walk-up, the kind where the privy stood in the yard and the stairways harbored drunks and ladies of the night. Barnaby’s mother was one of the former and his father was a dim echo of angry shouts and slammed doors. Barnaby remembered a drippy-eyed baby sister and a whining little brother. After a few token years in school, just enough to learn to read and cipher, he got his real education in the streets. He survived by his wits, liberating wallets and purses from pockets, and hocking throw-aways he found in the trash on the better side of the tracks. 

A local cop, Lt. Reilly, had tried to keep him straight, but Barnaby leaned toward crooked. For a while, he tried to help his mother with the little brats, bringing home fruit that fell off of produce trucks and day-old bread that bakers had discarded. He even gave his mother a few pennies toward the rent, but sooner, rather than later, he tired of the responsibilities and hopped a boxcar to the big city. After he’d stashed away a small nest egg earned by the nimbleness of his fingers and the swiftness of his feet, he’d sent home a small care package. It was returned to the post office box he rented to keep a low profile marked “Undeliverable.” 

Haunted by the shadows of his family mixing with the one on King’s Ave., Barnaby slipped into a troubled sleep. 

Troubled Sleep: Psalm 25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. (NIV)

Challenge: Forgiving yourself is hard. Forgive yourself for a sin that is troubling you. Thank God for his loving remembrance. 

Day 5 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 5

Reilly had come late to police work. Ten years in the armed services, following in his father’s footsteps, he had picked up observation skills that stood him well in the department. He kept good files — on paper and in his memory — and knew every shopkeeper, widow, shyster, and kid in the precinct. He volunteered at the local youth program — playing ball, chatting with the kids, and learning more about life on both sides of the tracks. Active at his church and kids’ schools, he knew about as much as anyone about life in this little part of the world. 

Burglary was a niggling problem for Reilly. Burglars pulled a vanishing act of goods dropping them into the willing hands of fences who then spirited them to pawn shops far afield. After this burglary, Reilly dropped in at Al’s Lost Treasures to gather information — not that Al would be forthcoming.

“Morning, Reilly,” greeted Al rising from behind the counter when the bell tinkled on Reilly’s entrance. “What’s the good news?”

“Same old, same old, Al. Pilfering on King’s Ave. Some silver, coins, and stamps. Don’t suppose you’ve seen any of it?” 

“You know I never deal in stolen goods, Reilly. Straight up and honest as the day is long.” Al polished some crystal with a cloth and placed it on the shelf behind him. Glass showcases filled with watches and clocks ringed the shop. Glittering bracelets, earrings, and necklaces decorated velvet boxes behind locked doors. Al wore a ring of keys on his belt that could sink a ship. Reilly could be sure that any identifying marks had long been filed off. Reilly scanned the displays mentally comparing this booty to his list from King’s Ave. Nothing stood out. The King’s Ave. treasures were probably in another state by now.

“Keep your eyes peeled, Al. Somebody’s Merry Christmas might yet be saved.”

Treasures: Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV)

Challenge: How do you define treasure? Treasure, a noun, refers to objects of wealth. Treasure, a verb, means to “keep carefully.” What do you keep carefully? Your money? Your property? Your family? Your integrity? Your honor? Your time? Your faith? Today, spend more time on treasuring intangible wealth, like faith, than on tangible things. 

 

Day 4 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 4

At dawn, Lt. Reilly paced the hall of 106 King’s Ave. 

“Another brownstone picked clean,” he growled at the beat cop cowering by the front door. He poked the officer’s bulging belly with his finger. “Those drumsticks clouding your vision?” he asked. “Or is your beat too far from the coffee shop? Maybe a nice beat closer to the docks would sharpen your 20/20.”

The couple in 3A had reported the burglary when they had returned from an office party about four that morning. Lt. Reilly had been shaken from his sleep by the shrill clanging from his bedside phone. The early wake-up had done nothing to sweeten his temperament. About six o’clock, he had woken up the maid from 2A and investigated the second burglary. The woman in the basement had reported nothing missing. 

Reilly puffed up the staircase to 3A and back down to the ground floor rattling doorknobs as he went. No broken locks. These were good sturdy doors. The perp must have entered through the windows. Reilly sent the beat cop up the fire escape to investigate. Two circles of glass confirmed his suspicions. Lt. Reilly interrogated the superintendent. The woman ushered him into her dark apartment apologizing for the faded sofa. 

“No, Officer, I didn’t see anyone. I didn’t hear anything either. We were home all evening and went to bed early.” The woman answered his questions with a quiver in her voice.

“What about Mr. Superintendent?” Reilly asked.

“He left last year looking for more work. We haven’t heard from him in a long while.” Mama picked up a little girl who had shuffled out of the bedroom dragging a teddy bear. “Are we in danger? Will the burglar come back?”

“It’s not likely. Keep your doors and windows locked and get the kids inside well before dark.” Leaving his card, Lt. Reilly took one last look around the bare apartment and headed up the stairs. 

Wherever You Are: Luke 2:4-5 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

(NIV)

Challenge: Sometimes we must leave a comfort zone due to circumstances beyond our control. No circumstance is beyond God’s control. What circumstance is causing you to leave your comfort zone? Step out in faith today. Know that God is with you. 

Day 3 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 The Christmas Thief 

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 3

Easing through the basement window of 1A, Barnaby scanned the room and almost slipped back out again. The floors were bare and no holly or tinsel adorned the room. An old sofa sat in the middle of the sitting room and a scratched table covered with chipped dishes decorated the corner.

Maybe they’re the kind who like to sock it away for a rainy day. He crept over to the bedroom door, inched open the door, and peeked inside at the bed. A muffled snore came from a form surrounded by three smaller shapes hidden by a worn blanket. Looking closer, Barnaby saw a thin bedraggled woman and three children—two skinny but well-scrubbed boys with dark hair and a little towheaded girl with her thumb in her mouth and her arms wrapped around a scruffy teddy bear.

A waste of my valuable time.  At a sniffle from one of the children, Barnaby froze, his burglar instincts halting his breath. The little girl sighed, rolled over, and slept on. Barnaby closed the door and stepped back into the sitting room. Must be the Super’s apartment. Barnaby scanned the room again. Even Supers have piggy banks. A row of pictures caught his attention above the cold fireplace. A few silver frames would round out my pickings quite nicely. He slid across the floor. He picked up the first photograph. A family of five smiled out at him. Cheap silvered metal, what else?  Barnaby set down the frame and examined the others. In the second, a scrawny infant lay on a blanket flanked by two toddlers with short curls. The third displayed a tall man and a smiling woman dressed for a wedding. In the last photo, the woman and children stood alone at a train station.

Papa must have taken this one. Barnaby returned it to the mantle. Funny, he hadn’t noticed any evidence of a papa in 1A. No pipe rack on the mantle. No boots by the door. The one bed that Mama and the kids overflowed. The chipped dishes caught Barnaby’s eye. One, two, three, four, Barnaby counted. Looks like Papa skipped town. Can’t blame him for running from a dump like this. Something in the center of the table caught his eye. He stepped over for a closer look. A ceramic Nativity set stood among the cracked dishes. A chipped and faded angel looked down into the manger holding the baby Jesus, one arm broken off at the elbow. Mary, with a smudged face, tenderly looked down at her child who had not a wisp of hay to warm him. A shepherd with a three-legged sheep stood off to one side.

Looks like Joseph skipped town too, Barnaby noted. The Wise Men must have been too smart to stop here too. The town clock chimed. Three o’clock and all’s well –- for some of us anyway. Barnaby glided across the room and out the window. Picking up the heavy bags he’d stowed behind the trash cans in the alley, Barnaby tipped his hat to 106 King’s Ave. and strolled off into the shadows.

“A good night’s work,” he purred. The beat cop swung around the corner and rattled the doorknob of 106. Satisfied, he sauntered off to the next brownstone. Barnaby snickered from the safety of the shadows.

Waiting: Luke 1:68 May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed! For God’s intervention has begun, and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God.                                          (The Voice)

Challenge: Are you waiting for something? The Jews had been waiting for generations for the Messiah. The wisest of men predicted a conquering king. No one expected to find a king in a manger. God’s intervention has begun. Slow down today. Look for God’s intervention in your life.

Day 2 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 2

In the darkness of the early morning, Barnaby slipped into Apt. 3A. The old brownstones had been cut into apartments back in the ‘20s when times were good. There were three apartments in the building, one on each floor, and Barnaby, blessed with dark hair, dark eyes, and a swarthy complexion, natural camouflage for the night, blended easily into the shadows. 

As I always say, why not start at the top? Nice of these old places to have such well-kept fire escapes. He traced a circle with his glass cutter, suctioned it out, wiggled two long fingers inside to open the lock, and slipped through the window. 

Hardly a squeak. A sleeping cat on an ottoman ignored him. 

3A was filled with antique furniture and Persian carpets. Gliding through the living room, he loaded his bag with crystal, clocks, and a shimmering silver tea set. The apartment was lavishly decorated for the holiday. Barnaby added several wrapped packages hidden in a hall closet to his bag. 

Good things come in small packages, I always say.  He helped himself to a chocolate before stepping out the window and gliding down the fire escape to 2A.

Here the pickings were even better. The apartment was empty. Sheets covered most of the furniture. Occupants taking a winter vacation in some sunny clime. Barnaby found a coin and stamp collection. 

Saves me the trouble of collecting them myself. The plush carpet muffled his steps as he slipped these in on top of the silver tea set and cushioned it all with an antique lace tablecloth. He took the silver candlesticks from the windows, leaving the candles, and pocketed a crystal star hanging in the front window.

Might as well check out the basement and make a clean sweep of it. 

Be Open to God’s Call: Luke 1: 46-55  

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (NIV)

Challenge: Where do you keep your treasures? Mary treasured the word and promises of God. These are treasures that cannot be stolen away. Which of God’s promises (mercy, holiness, safety, loving care) speaks to you? Focus on that promise today. Store his treasures in your heart.

DAY 1 The Christmas Thief

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 1

Barnaby was a thief. To be exact, a burglar. He made his living slipping in and out of the posh Eastside apartments in the old town. There wasn’t a lock, chain, or Doberman that could keep him out. With a flip of the wrist or the toss of a bone, he slipped in, filled his canvas bag, tipped his hat, and slid out into the silent night. 

Barnaby was well known to the cops at the 57^th Precinct. He had started his career as a pick-pocket and had spent many a night as a guest of the city. Officer Tom Reilly remembered him as a snot-nosed kid with a smirk on his face. He also remembered him as a boy with a mother who couldn’t remember his name for the drink and a father who had skipped out before the boy could even say, “Da-da.”

Barnaby hadn’t spent a night on the city since he had started burgling. He was too smart for that. He tipped his hat to the coppers on the beat and glided by with his head held high. Lt. Reilly watched him saunter down the street as he filled out one more report of a burglary on the high street. He decided to beef up his patrols of the Eastside.

At the top of December, Barnaby got tired of the Eastside – and a little leery of the sight of one more copper rocking back and forth on his heels on every corner. He decided to try his luck a little further downtown. Scouting around for an easy job, he spotted an old brownstone on King’s Ave. A holly wreath hung in every window of the two top floors. Silver candlesticks with red candles lit by moonlight stood on the windowsills.

Plenty of old money and heirloom silver in those old brownstones even in these tough times, he thought, just ripe for the picking. Barnaby rubbed his hands together as he strolled back and forth planning his evening’s work. 

Prepare the Way: Luke 1:16-17 “He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”             (MSG)

Challenge: Advent is a season of preparation. Are you preparing for the coming of Jesus? Read the scriptures included with each section of the story. How do they relate to the story characters and plot? How do they relate to your life? Every morning, as you rise, say aloud, “Come, Lord Jesus.” On a calendar, keep a record of how he comes to you. Will he soften your heart? Will he kindle devout understanding? How will he get you ready for God?

The Christmas Thief

 

The Christmas Thief 

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Advent, the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas, is a time of preparation. The word Advent means “Coming.” It is a season of self-reflection, anticipation, hope, and joy. Christians prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus.  

The observance of Advent dates back to the 6th century when monks fasted during the days leading up to Christmas. Advent Calendars became popular in the 19th Century. German Protestant Christians marked 24 chalk lines on a door and rubbed one off every day in December. Paper calendars became popular in the early 1900s. Scenes from the Bible story and other Christmas images, such as snowmen and robins, were hidden behind paper doors — one to be opened each day. Calendars with toys or chocolate candies became popular in the 20th century. President Dwight D. Eisenhower is credited for popularizing Advent calendars when he was photographed opening windows with his grandchildren.

The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose, is a new way to count down the days to Christmas, As the story unfolds day by day, reflect on the meaning of the story and the accompanying scripture lesson. Accept the challenge offered each day. 

Prepare your heart for the coming Christ.