Christmas is a time of wonder, which is why my theme for this post is "Winter Wonderland." But I'm not just talking about the beauty of the world at Christmastime. Instead, I want to emphasize the wonder of Christ's birth.
"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19.
Here's a small Christmas story/vignette. I hope you enjoy!
Natalie pressed her forehead to the cool windowpane, watching the snow drift down from the sky. What perfect timing! A white Christmas after all. She and her siblings had been waiting tensely all day, running to the computer to check the weather reports, announcing each fresh result. And now, Christmas Eve afternoon, snow was finally falling. The pine-y scent of the Christmas tree hung spicily in the air and sweet whiffs of Christmas dessert preparation floated from the kitchen. The perfect Christmas.
“Please?” Noah’s eight-year-old voice begged in the kitchen. “Please, Mom? We’ll come in by five. It’s the first snow of the year.”
“No, it’s not,” Natalie heard Daniel object. “We had snow in January.” His was the voice of fourteen-year-old importance. Natalie grinned. He was only five minutes older than she was.
“It’s the first snow this winter,” Noah said, too focused on the vital subject to protest the contradiction. “Can’t we go, Mom?”
Natalie got off the couch, brushing past the Christmas tree and pulling tiny needles off her fuzzy sweater sleeve. The pine smell clung to her fingers as she headed for the kitchen to add her voice to the conversation. “Yes, can we?” she chimed in. Daniel nodded eagerly, and Noah hopped up and down with enthusiasm. Melody smiled, rolling out pie crust with an experienced hand.
Mrs. Jefferson looked up from the simmering cranberry sauce and tucked a loose wave of hair behind her ear. “Well… go ahead. Natalie, I need you to help Rachel, though.”
“Yes!” A collective cheer rang through the kitchen.
Pressing pie crust into a glass pan, Melody asked, “Are you heading over to the hill behind the playground?”
Natalie looked at Mom. “If we can…”
“Well, if you’re very careful,” Mrs. Jefferson said slowly. “And if you come home when the sun starts to set, maybe…”
“Do you want me to go with them, Mom?” Melody offered, scraping cherry filling from her mixing bowl. “The pie’s ready to go in the oven.” She picked it up and set it on the counter beside the stove.
Mrs. Jefferson glanced around the kitchen. “That would probably be best. I’ll bake the pie and store the cranberry sauce, and we’ll have done enough for today.”
Melody hurried over to the sink and began rinsing her hands. “Go ahead and get ready, guys,” she directed, reaching for a towel.
“I’ll get Rachel,” said Natalie. “Daniel --”
“I know. I’m helping Noah.”
“If I need any help!” Noah called, already halfway down the stairs.
“Oh, you will need help. I know what happens with you and snow boots and gloves.” Daniel started off in pursuit of his brother.
Natalie darted down the hallway to her little sister’s room, grinning. The hill behind the playground was the best place ever for sledding. High, steep enough for excitement, and gently sloped enough for five-year-old Rachel’s safety. She couldn’t wait.
Cold wind blew the snow into the Jefferson siblings’ faces as they headed past the tan-and-olive-green playground. Already thick, snow heaped high on the curving slides. The snowflakes had gotten significantly heavier.
They stopped just beyond the playground, where the ground sloped down into a perfect sledding hill. Melody brushed snow from a bench and sat down, pulling out her phone. “Smile!”
Her siblings flashed smiles at the camera for about two seconds, then turned back to the hill. “All right, who’s first with the sleds?” Daniel called out. The Jeffersons had once owned five sleds, but over time, two of them had cracked with over-enthusiastic use. Besides, the hill was only wide enough for three in the best sledding place.
“Ladies first,” Noah pointed out, grinning.
“Why, thank you,” Natalie said, dropping an exaggerated curtsy made clumsy by a heavy coat and boots. “Come here, Rachel.”
Curls bobbing around her face, Rachel shuffled over, and Natalie laid the sled down at the top of the hill. Rachel sat down, and Natalie climbed into her own sled.
“I’ll beat you to the bottom!” Noah sang out, clambering aboard his own sled.
“No, you won’t!” Natalie gave Rachel’s sled a push and leaned forward. Her sled shot down the hill. Behind her, Noah protested. “No fair!” as he pushed off.
Natalie grinned into the frosty air as her sled bumped over the snow and finally slid to a stop at the base of the hill, Rachel beside her. Noah tumbled down only a few seconds after her. “You had a head start.” he complained, spilling out of the sled.
“You can race with Daniel if you want,” Natalie started up the hill, dragging both her sled and Rachel’s. At the top, Daniel claimed her sled, and set off down the hill with Noah and Rachel.
Natalie found a patch of clear, pure white snow, unmarred by any careless footprints. She lay down, sinking into the snow. Only a few feet away from her, the forest began, and the purple-gray shadows stretched across the snow toward her. Above her, the sky was deepening to a dark blue in which stars started to twinkle.
She shifted position, propping her chin up on one wrist in the snow, staring up into the sky. Was it a night like this, she wondered absentmindedly, when Jesus was born? Did Mary look up at the stars before she entered the stable? Did Joseph have to carve a path through heavy snow? Well, possibly not, since Israel might not have been northern enough for much snow at any time. Either way, what had that night been like?
The shadows stretched toward her, deepening to gray-blue. How beautiful the world was, as if it was getting ready to celebrate, too. The stars were like little white Christmas lights strung across the sky. “Christmas” trees stood close by -- tall pine trees adorned with small, sparkling snowflakes. The world was swathed in glittering white, decorated with unsullied purity.
A small smile crept across Natalie’s face. It was truly a winter wonderland, here. A winter scene that provided scope for wonder -- curiosity about the night of Christ’s birth and awe at the miracle of Chist’s birth. She sat up, and the wind blew her hood from her head, clutching at strands of her loose blond hair and whipping them into her face. Brushing them away with gloved hands, she shivered with both cold and excitement. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Christmas was finally here.
“Natalie!” called Melody’s voice. “We need to head back. Do you want another turn with the sled?”
Natalie turned and plowed toward her older sister. “One more,” she said, grinning. “Just one more.” As she approached the top of the hill, Noah held out his sled generously. “Only once,” he said. “I want to go home and get some hot chocolate.”
“Hot chocolate!” Rachel echoed determinedly, her eyes lighting up.
“All right,” Natalie agreed, leaping on the sled and pushing herself off. The sled shot off down the hill, skimming lightly over the shimmering blanket of white. Looking into the sky, she imagined it was carrying her to the stars, the gleaming host of the most perfect Christmas lights.
And now... a poem! I wrote this with the night before Christmas in mind.
Was it a night like this when He
Stepped down from heaven's holy joy
Descended from eternity
Came down to earth as infant boy?
Did snow fall cold upon that night
As shepherds guarded huddled sheep
When one star shone with glorious light
And naught disturbed the baby's sleep?
How did the angels' singing sound
On that great night so long ago?
How great the glory that shone around
As angels bid the shepherds, "Go!"
What did the shepherds think as they
Clustered 'round the baby small
Pondered o'er the marvel great,
"This little child is King of all."
We too stand in worship and awe
Marveling at His wondrous grace
The child who came is Holy God
Come to take our sinful place.
So on this night lift up your voice
For death is conquered by our Lord!
On this night we all rejoice
And thank Him for His grace out-poured!
