A Christmas Story for Children
by
The Rev. Karen Lynn Woo
The Rev. Karen Lynn Woo serves two churches in Nebraska Buffalo Grove
Presbyterian Church in Lexington, and First Presbyterian Church in Cozad.
Every year, close to Christmas, the local newspaper in Cozad runs a special
section that includes articles by the local pastors. Since beginning her
work in Cozad, Karen has chosen to write a children’s Christmas story for
the paper. I have always found that well written children’s stories also
have an important message for adults. I share this one with you as a way of
celebrating the Advent season with you and a prayer that you will take the
time to be quiet and wait, with anticipation, the coming of Jesus Christ
this Christmas and, at precisely the right time, his coming again as King of
kings and Lord of lords.
Sylvia Dooling
*”Are You Sure?”*
by
Rev. Karen Lynn Woo
“Mom,” said Allison, ‘Listen to this, Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees
when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is
not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, Look, here
it is!’ or There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Then he said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will long to
see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will
say to you, Look there!’ or Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in
pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to
the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure
much suffering and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the
days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were
eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day
Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them.
Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking,
buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left
Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them — it
will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day,
anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to
take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back.
Remember Lot’s wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it,
but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there
will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be
two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.”
Then they asked him, ‘Where, Lord?” He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is,
there the vultures will gather.”
‘Sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it?” replied Allison’s mother, Margaret. ‘What
are you reading anyway?”
‘The Bible,” said Allison. ‘It’s right here in the Gospel of Luke. But I
don’t think I’ve ever heard our pastor read, let alone preach on, these
verses. What do you suppose it means when it says, _. . . on that night
there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left; and
there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the
other left?’_ Who gets left behind and who doesn’t?”
‘Sounds like a question for Aunt Kay. She’ll be here on Monday. You can ask
her,” her mother replied.
Three days later, Margaret’s older sister Kay arrived for her annual
Pre-Christmas visit. ‘Aunt Kay!” said Allison giving her favorite aunt a
big hug. ‘I’m so glad to see you! I have a question for you.”
‘Oh good,” said Aunt Kay with a smile. ‘I love playing stump the pastor.
Still having doubts about your salvation?”
Allison shook her head remembering how the last time Aunt Kay had visited
Allison had shared her concern about her salvation with her.
‘Aunt Kay, Allison had asked, ‘do you think I’ll go to heaven when I die?”
‘Why Allison,” Aunt Kay had replied, ‘What would make you ask such a
question? Haven’t you asked Jesus to come into your heart? Didn’t you tell
Him you want Him to be your Lord and Savior?”
‘Yes,” said Allison, nodding her head in the affirmative, ‘I did that a
long time ago.”
Aunt Kay bent down and put her face right in front of Allison’s so that they
were almost nose to nose, ‘Then what makes you think you might not go to
heaven when you die?”
With tears in her eyes, Allison confessed she was worried about her
salvation because she had done some pretty terrible things. ‘What if God
won’t forgive me?” she cried.
Aunt Kay looked deep into her eyes and whispered, ‘Did you tell God you were
sorry and that you won’t do it again?”
‘Yes,” said Allison, nodding in the affirmative.
‘Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Aunt Kay told her.
‘But what if what I did was so bad God can’t forgive me?” cried Allison.
Aunt Kay gave Allison a squeeze and said, ‘There’s nothing you can do that
God won’t forgive if you are truly sorry and you tell Him so.”
‘Are you sure?” asked Allison.
‘I’m sure,” said Aunt Kay.
‘But how do you know that?” asked Allison.
‘Because darling,” responded Aunt Kay, ‘the Bible says so. You know the
Bible is God’s Word to us and that you can trust what God says to us through
His Word, right?”
Allison nodded.
‘Well, the Bible says God will never leave us or forsake us. He loves us so
much He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth and allowed Him to die on a cross for
our sin . . . for all the bad things we have ever done or will ever do . . .
and then He resurrected Jesus three days later so that when we die all of us
who have asked Jesus into our hearts . . . all of us who have told Jesus we
want Him to be the Lord of our lives . . . all of us who follow His
teachings . . . can go to heaven and live forever with Him. Does that answer
your question?”
Allison’s heart had felt immediately lighter. ‘Yes,” she said smiling.
‘Thank you Aunt Kay!”
‘So Allison,” said Aunt Kay breaking into Allison’s thoughts, ‘What is this
question you have for me?”
‘Oh,” said Allison. ‘I was reading the Bible you gave me last Christmas and
I came across these words in the Gospel of Luke that I’ve never heard
before. They sounded kind of scary and I got a little worried so mom said I
should ask you about them.”
‘Ahhhh,” said Aunt Kay with a knowing look. ‘And just which words have you
been reading that have put fear into your heart yet again?”
Allison read her the words she had read to her mother just three days
before.
‘I’m surprised you’ve never heard these words before,” said Aunt Kay,
‘especially during the season of Advent.”
‘I thought the season of Advent was about remembering the anticipation and
expectation which surrounded the birth of Jesus.” said Allison.
‘It is,” replied Aunt Kay. ‘But that is only half of the story. The other
half is about the anticipation and expectation of that day when Jesus will
come again. But what is it about these words that ’caused you to be
afraid?”
Tears began to form in Allison’s eyes as she said, ‘I’m afraid I might be
left behind.”
‘I see. Well, I can understand why the thought of being left behind might
cause one to be fearful,” Aunt Kay replied, ‘but what makes you think Jesus
will leave YOU behind?”
‘What makes you think He won’t?” cried Allison. ‘The passage says _on that
night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the
other left.’_ How can I be sure I won’t be the one left behind?”
‘Oh I see what you’re getting at,” said Aunt Kay. ‘Well let’s look again at
what Jesus says to His disciples just before that verse, _’Those who try to
make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep
it.”_ It’s the same thing He told His followers about the cost of
discipleship in Luke 9:23-24: _’Then he said to them all, If any want to
become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily
and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake will save it.’ ”_ You can be certain you
won’t be left behind because you are one of Jesus’ disciples . . . one of
His followers.”
‘Are you sure?” asked Allison.
‘I’m as sure that you will not be left behind when Jesus comes again as I am
that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ,” said Aunt Kay.
‘Oh thank you!” shouted Allison giving her aunt another big hug. ‘I was so
worried!”
Aunt Kay hugged her back as she said with a gleam in her eye and a smile on
her face, ‘Merry Christmas!”
‘It will be now!” said Allison smiling back at her. ‘A Very Merry
Christmas!”
_
Please join my congregations and me on Christmas Eve, December 24th, for
morning worship service at 9:30 a.m. (Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Church) or
11:00 a.m. (First Presbyterian Church, Cozad) and/or for our candlelight
service at 5:00 p.m. (First Presbyterian Church, Cozad) or 6:30 p.m.
(Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Church). Merry Christmas! ~ Pastor K_