THE GIFT GIVER

The old man walked slowly down the narrow street greeting each person he met with a smile or a nod of his head. He had never owned a house or animals or had children. All of the things that people related with wealth were missing from this man’s life but he always seem to have something to give to others. That’s why he was known throughout the city as the old gift giver.

Somehow, there would always be something in his pocket for the children, a piece of fruit or a small coin, and sometimes he would give them a hug and tell them a story. No matter who ever they were, the old gift giver always had something to give to each one yet he never asks for anything in return.

Older people would always be glad to see him because he made them feel good or even young again as he would tell them how wonderful they were and how life had been good to them even when times had been hard.

No one knew where the gift giver lived or where he spent the nights. He sort of just came with the morning and went with the setting sun.

One morning as the old man was making his rounds he heard that a baby had been born during the night. There was nothing unusual about a baby being born because the old gift giver often visited newborn babies and their mothers to give them encouragement and to see if he could be of any help. And he was always able to come up with a small gift for the mother and the baby.

What caught his attention was that he had heard that this baby had been born in a manger. A manger did not seem like the best place for a new baby but he knew that the town was overflowing with people due to the census being taken. Now he would go and find this newborn baby and its mother to see what he could do to help and of course he must find a gift for them.

As he walked along the crowded street he would ask where the baby was that had been born in a manger. Most of the people did not know what he was talking about or just looked at him and kept on walking. He came upon an old woman that he knew and she told him where the baby could be found.

As he came near the manger where the family was staying he noticed how calm it was and how clean.

He knocked gently at the entrance so as not to disturb the mother or the child if it was sleeping. A kind soft voice said “come in,” so the old gift giver slowly walked over to where the mother was sitting with the husband standing near by and greeting him. I have come to see the child he said to the mother and to bring you a small gift.

As the mother uncovered the child’s face the gift giver ask if it was a man child or a girl child? A man child the mother replied.

He bent over the manger that was filled with fresh clean straw to look down upon the baby. When he looked upon the baby’s face he saw a face that was more beautiful than any child he had ever known and it had a calmness about it like he himself had searched for but could never seem to find. What will he be called he asked the mother? Jesus, she replied. Jesus, Jesus the old gift giver kept saying over and over again.

Now I know who it is that will be a gift giver when I am gone. My soul would not rest until I met this one. He will not give to the few as I have, for he shall give to the whole world and he will not just give fruit and coins as I have but he will give his life so that everyone may be able to receive his gift and that it will be in his name all will be known as gift givers.

The old man thanked the family and left his gift and walked into the busy street but was never seen again.

THE INNKEEPER

As the old innkeeper walked toward the door, he knew that he would tell whoever was there that he had no rooms left, just as he had done all day. It was now becoming a bother for him to keep telling all the people that he was full for the night, but he went to the door anyway.

“Yes”, he said, as he opened the door. “What can I do for you?” The man at the door asked if he had any rooms left. With a little growl in his voice he said, “No” and started to close the door when the man standing there said “wait, my wife is heavy with child and may deliver any time now. I must have shelter for her”.

The innkeeper looked past the man and saw a young, but very tired-looking woman on a donkey. The innkeeper thought a moment and then said, “I believe there is an empty stall in the stable behind the inn.” Having compassion for the young woman he said “Come, I will show it to you.”

The innkeeper led the couple back behind the inn to a stable that had several animals in it but there was an empty stall, and it would be shelter from the cold that spring night. The man told the innkeeper this will be fine and he thanked him for his help.

As the innkeeper walked away he told them to make themselves as comfortable as possible and that if they needed any help to let him know.

The man spread out clean hay to make a bed for himself and his wife, making sure that she was comfortable. The animals in the stable were quit and paid little attention to the man and his wife as they prepared to go to sleep.

Shortly before daybreak the woman woke her husband, telling him that it was her time to be delivered. In a few minutes the stable was ringing with the sound of a baby boy’s shrill voice. The animals could only watch as the man wrapped the tiny baby in swaddling clothes and put him against his mother’s breast. The baby soon quieted and fell asleep.

The next day the innkeeper heard a knock at his door and again he went to tell whomever it was that he still had no room. He opened the door and saw several men who were shepherds standing around his door. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

The oldest of the shepherds said “We are looking for the Christ child”. ‘The angels of the Lord said that we would find him in the city lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes”. The innkeeper said, “There are no babies in my inn and I know of no Christ child. I am sorry, I can’t help you”.

As he stated to close the door, he thought a minute and then asked, “Did you say the child would be lying in a manger”. “Yes”, they said. “Well, late last night a man and a woman, great with child, came to my door to ask for a room. I did not have room for them, so I told them about the stable behind the inn. Do you think that could be them?” “Let’s see”, said the shepherd. The innkeeper said, “Follow me, and I will show you where they are”.

The innkeeper and the shepherds entered into the stable and found the man and woman sitting beside a manger looking at the newborn baby within. “We have come to see the Christ child”, said one of the shepherds. “Is this he?” “Yes” said the woman and she uncovered the baby’s face so they could all look at him.

They could hardly believe their eyes as they looked down upon the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. “This is surely the child the angels told us about”, they all agreed.v

After telling the man and woman about how the angels told them about the child they all worshipped the child and gave thanks to God for letting them see the Christ child.

They soon departed and went and told everyone about the Christ child in the manger. A few days later the man and woman were preparing to leave the stable when the innkeeper came to them and said, “May I see the child one more time?”

As he looked down upon the child he said to the mother, “what will his name be?” “He will be called Jesus”, she said. “Jesus, Jesus, Oh, what a beautiful name”, he said. Then the man and his wife started on their journey.

THE POTTER’S HANDS

The morning light shown through the window of the potter’s small shop as the activity of the day began and the potter came in and put on his apron.

He walked over to the shelves around the wall that held the plain balls of brown clay that he would one day fashion into different articles. He came to the first ball of clay and said, “How would you like to be made into something today?” The ball of clay quickly replied to the potter, “Oh no! I am just fine up here on the shelf where I can see all about the shop; please don’t make me into anything today!” So, the potter looked to the next ball of clay and said, “how about you, how would like to be made into something?” “I don’t think so; I’m used to being up here with my friends. I don’t believe I would like it anywhere else than here with my friends.” Well, the potter was disappointed in having been turned down but he went on to the next ball of clay and said, “How would you like to be made into something today?” “Oh no, I am happy just as I am but thank you just the same” it replied.

The potter was getting discouraged but he went ahead and said to the next ball of clay “What about you? What do you have to say?” “You may take me and make me into something today” said the ball of clay. The potter took the clay from the shelve and put it down on his pottery wheel and gently started to caress and shape it. The other balls of clay said to each other as they watched, “It must be very painful to be shaped by the powerful potter’s hands, we can hardly recognize our friend now.” The potter continued working, slowly turning the wheel, and shaping the clay ever so gently. He worked and worked throughout the long morning and into the afternoon; finally, he put on the finishing touches.

Then the potter took his work and put it into a hot oven. As he did the other balls of clay sadly said, “Our friend will surely die in that hot oven. We will never see our friend again.”

Early the next morning, the first ball of clay to awaken looked around and saw in the window a bright, shiny bowl that he had never seen before. It was not just a bowl but a bowl trimmed in bright colors and edged in precious gold. It was sitting on a small pedestal in front of the shop’s window so that the whole world could see it‘s beauty. Not only was it a beautiful bowl but it was heaped with precious possessions, such as golden bracelets and rings and precious jewels. He just couldn’t believe his eyes! He had never seen anything like it before. He nudged the other balls of clay along the shelf and said, “Look! Look in the window! I’ve never seen anything like it” and they all agreed. “It is prettier than anything we’ve ever seen. Look how it is filled with precious things and jewels. We must find out where it came from.” One of the balls of clay called down to the bowl and said, “Hey! where did you come from? We’ve never seen you before”.

The bowl, hesitating a moment said, “I’m the ball of clay that sat beside you only yesterday.” “Oh no” said the ball of clay on the shelf “that was just a plain ball of clay you could not be it. You could never have been like one of us.” “Look at you trimmed in bright color and precious gold and filled with beautiful things. You could not be the same ball of clay that was up here with us.” “I was just like you yesterday morning” said the bowl. Another ball of clay said, “It’s hard to believe that the potter could make something so beautiful out of something that looks like us. Who is this potter?” it asked. “We must ask him to take us and make us into something beautiful too”.

The bowl said, “All I know is that I gave myself to the potter and he took me and worked with me and changed me into what he wanted me to be and his name is Jesus.”

THE SPARROW

Several sparrows were jumping from one branch to another in the small bushes around the rocks on a hillside. Some of the sparrows were sitting on one of the larger rocks sunning themselves when a shadow crossed over them. One of the sparrows looked up to see what had caused the shadow and saw a large bird high above them. “What is that?” he asked the others around him? “An eagle” chirped one bird. “Look how high he can fly and he rarely even has to flap his wings.” “That is what I want to be someday” said one of the sparrows, “I want to be an eagle.”

The other sparrows laughed at him and began making fun of him. They told him that he could never be an eagle and laughed some more. So when the little sparrow could not take the funning anymore, he flew off to be by himself.

He decided that if he wanted to be an eagle, he must go high upon the rocky lodges where the eagles live to learn how he could become one.

After hours of flying, the little sparrow came to the high rocky cliffs where the eagles lived. He saw several eagles not far off, so he flew to where they were sitting. “I have came to become an eagle”, he announced. A couple of eagles laughed and one said, “You must be born an eagle, you cannot become an eagle just because you want to be one.”

One old eagle that had been listening but had said nothing, spoke up and said. “There is one that lives at the top of the highest mountain and if you will go to him, he can turn you into an eagle.”

“I will do it” said the sparrow and he flew off toward the mountain and he thanked the old eagle as he left.

The mountain was very high. The little sparrow began to get tired as he flew into the dark clouds surrounding it. Suddenly, he was caught in a whirling wind that twisted him every which way and knocked him against the side of the mountain but he just kept on going. Suddenly, it started to rain and lighting began flashing all around him. The little sparrow was wet and scared but decided that if he could first get to the next ledge, then he would stop and rest. After that he would go back down the mountain and would just stay a sparrow. He finally got to the ledge all wet, hurting and scared.

Out of the dark cloud came a voice which said, “What do you want little sparrow?”

Shaking with cold and fear the little sparrow said, “I am here to see the one that can turn me into an eagle.”

The voice calmly said, “When you return to the valley below, you will be an eagle because of your great faith in me.”

The sparrow no longer felt afraid and after a little rest, began his trip back down the mountain.

He flew into the dark clouds not even able to see where he was going, but he kept on going anyway.

After a little while he started to come out of the clouds, but he felt different somehow. As he came into the sunlight he was able to look at himself and could not believe what he saw! His wings were long and strong and he did not have to flap them to fly but could sail with the wind. He was an eagle!

He felt strength and power as he flew to the valley below. As he looked down he saw his sparrow friends and he landed next to them.

They were afraid of the big eagle near them and asked him what he wanted with them. “Don't you recognize me?“ he asked.

“No” they replied, “We don't know you.”

“I am the sparrow that left you to become an eagle” he said.

They all looked at each other in amazement and then one of the sparrows finally asked, “How did this happen? How can we become eagles too?”

“All I can tell you” said the eagle, “Is that I went to the top of the mountain and the one that lives there changed me and his name is Jesus.”