Here is Elizabeth and her mommy and daddy!  They are standing up in front of their congregation because the Mawakasunga family will be lighting the candle on the Advent Wreath in Pastor Ed’s church.  That’s just like Ashley and Matthew Schmidt who lighted the candle in OUR church this morning with their mommy and daddy! 

Elizabeth’s job will be to actually light the candle.  Pastor Ed’s church does not have a nice taper like we have here.  So her mommy and daddy helped her practice striking the match at home and she is very good at it.

Right now her daddy is reading his part out loud to the congregation.

Elizabeth looked at the beautiful Advent Wreath and the Christmas tree! 

“Christmas really IS coming!” she thought to herself.  She was just a little nervous being up in front of the whole congregation.  She was glad her mommy and daddy were with her.

Elizabeth looked around for the three wise men.  Do YOU see them, over there in the East, high up on the ledge?  And then she found Mary and Joseph. When you get back to your seats you can look for the shepherd and his two sheep.

Today the lessons tell us that we need to be ready when Jesus comes.  That means paying attention to what GOD has called us to do.  It means paying attention to what your mother and father have called you to do.  And it means to always watch for the opportunity to do the good and kind deed.

And paying attention is just what Elizabeth is NOT doing! 

“Christmas is coming!  Christmas is coming!” thought Elizabeth.  She was thinking about what presents she might get on Christmas morning.  “Oh boy, oh boy!”

Elizabeth did NOT notice that her daddy had finished reading and it was time to light the candle.  She was NOT paying attention.  That is, she was not paying attention until she heard the silence . . . the quiet waiting while everyone’s eyes were looking at her!

“OH!” gasped Elizabeth.  “I need to light the candle right now!”  She was so flustered that she couldn’t even get the match ripped out of the book!.  “Oh!  I could do this at home!”  And then the match was bent.  So she got another one and it didn’t light either!  She wanted to run away!  Elizabeth wanted to throw up!  She wanted to disappear!  And EVERYONE was watching!  She just wasn’t ready that quickly.  She wished she had been paying attention!

And then her MOMMY did the good and kind deed.  Mrs. Mawakasunga quietly walked over and stood close enough that she and Elizabeth touched.  And Elizabeth immediately felt calm. 

She struck the match . . . and lit the candle.  Isn’t that pretty?! 

The light from this candle is our reminder to pay attention to God, to pay attention to our mommy and daddy and to pay attention for the opportunity to do the good and kind deed.

THE END

Printer friendly copy of this story