Christmas Future

Okay, so guess what I discovered?? 

8th grade year

Homework assignment:

Write a story of an imagined future Christmas in your life 

Complete with illustrations 

And I found it today (oh the treasures that the back of my closet holds!) 

Here it is, complete and unabridged, just like I wrote it 6 1/2 years ago.

Maybe you'll get as much of a kick out of it as I did.... Especially those of you who knew me "back in the day" lol 

Some things change. 

And some things things never change. :-P

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"Come on Angela. We have to take Blake to the nursery." 

Hi. My name is Janell. I'm 28 years old and married to Matt Clemons. He has two years of seminary left, but we are still praying about what kind of ministry God wants us in. He would like to be a pastor or a missionary (maybe visit Charity at her orphanage and help.) For now we are part of a homey, eighty-five member church. That is where I am right now with our 3 year old daughter, Angela and 4 month old son, Blake (I have always liked that name.) 

"Here is your Sunday school class, Angela. Go on in. Listen well - I will ask you what you learned later." 

"Ok, Mommy!" she nods and scurries off. A couple of doors down is the first and second grade Sunday school class that I teach. There are a few kids talking and laughing with each other. There is Luke sitting in the back row where he always is. He comes because his parents do. I have been praying for him to get saved ever since the first Sunday he came to my class. (about two years ago.) I wit down and start to get myself together and ready to teach. It is Christmas Eve and I have an extra-special lesson planned.

It is time to start. "Listen up class!" I gain some attention. "Today we are going on a little field-trip." By now, everyone's eyes are glued on me. I continue. "Let's go outside around the back of the church." 

We walk through the halls and out the main doors (very quietly.) Once we are there, the kids squeal with delight. Tied up there, i s a real, live, honest-to-goodness sheep! (I brought him in a pick-up truck from the farm our family lives on. We have a couple horses, a henhouse, and a few sheep.) After the kids touch his soft, textured wool, I talk about what this sheep might have seen if he had been alive 2,000 years ago when the angels proclaimed Christ's birth to the shepherds. 

The kids' eyes sparkle with wonder as I, with the help of my wooly friend, make the Christmas story come alive to them. Out of the corner of my eye I see Luke. He looks much more interested then usual. It is as if he is thinking very hard about something. 

After we get back in the classroom I give each child two Christmas cookies I baked the night before. As they chatter and munch away, Luke walks shyly up to my desk. "Um, Mrs. Clemons, that was a really neat story you told." I am surprised at his compliment. 

"I am glad you liked it, Luke." 

"Mrs. Clemons, did Jesus come to earth for me?"

"Yes he did, Luke. He loves you," I reply softly. 

"I would like to ask Him into my heart." 

I am overjoyed! I tell him a little more of the gospel message to make sure he understands, then we pray together. When we finish he gets up and walks back to his seat with a peaceful smile on his face. 

I know that tomorrow we will celebrate Christmas as a family. Angela will bound into our bedroom at exactly 6:03 and we will get up and go to Grandma and Grandpa Knudson's house, have a yummy Christmas dinner, and open presents. But my greatest Christmas present is having Luke get saved. AFter all, that is what Christmas is all about. Christ came to save sinners. Matt and I want to be missionaries, but I know the Lord can use me right now. 

Merry Christmas!

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There you have it! I enjoyed reading this story from the "me of Christmas Past" :-) 

But the message of it still rings true. Christ came to 

"SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST" 

I hope this Christmas finds you overflowing with gratefulness for that.