2 jesuses:)

> > > About a week before Christmas, Mom bought a new nativity scene.
> > > When she unpacked it, she found two figures of the Baby Jesus.
> > > "Someone must have packed this wrong," mother said, counting out
> > > the figures. "We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three
> > > shepherds, two lambs, a donkey, a cow, an angel, and two babies.
Oh,
> > > dear! I suppose some set down at the store is missing a Baby
Jesus
> > because
> > > we have two."
> > >
> > > You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we
have
an
> > > extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes saying
that
> > if a
> > > set is missing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats,
it's
> > freezing
> > > cold out there." The manager of the store copied down mother's
message,
> > and the next
> > > time we were in the store, we saw the cardboard sign that read,
"If
> > you're
> > > missing Baby Jesus, call 7126."
> > >
> > > All week long we waited for someone to call. Surely, we thought,
> someone
> > > was missing that important figurine. Each time the phone rang,
mother
> > would say,
> > > "I'll bet that's about Jesus." But it never was. Father tried to
> explain
> > > there are thousands of these scattered over the country, and the
> > figurine
> > > could be missing from a set in Florida or Texas or California.
Those
> > packing
> > > mistakes happen all the time. He suggested that she just put the
extra
> > Jesus
> > > back in the box and forget about it. "Put Baby Jesus back in the
box?!
> > What
> > > a terrible thing to do," said mother. "Surely someone will call.
> > > We'll just keep the two of them together in the manger until
someone
> > does."
> > >
> > > When no call had come by 5:00 on Christmas Eve, mother insisted
that
> > father
> > > "just run down to the store" to see if there were any sets left.
"You
> can
> > see
> > > them right through the window, over on the counter," she said.
"If
they
> > are all
> > > gone, I'll know someone is bound to call tonight."
> > >
> > > "Run down to the store?" father thundered. "It's 15 below zero
out
> > there!"
> > > "Oh, Daddy, we'll go with you!" We began to put on our coats.
Father
> > gave a
> > > long sigh and headed for the front closet. "I can't believe I'm
doing
> > this,"
> > > he muttered. We ran ahead as father reluctantly walked out in the
cold.
> > Tommy
> > > got to the store first and pressed his nose up to the store
window.
> > > "They're all gone, Daddy," he shouted. "Every set
> > > must be sold. Hooray! The mystery will be solved tonight!"
> > >
> > > Father heard the news still a half block away and immediately
> > > turned on his heels and headed back home. When we got back into
the
> > house,
> > > we noticed that mother was gone and so was the extra Baby Jesus
> > figurine.
> > > "Someone must have called, and she went out to deliver the
figurine,"
> > father
> > > reasoned, pulling off his boots.
> > >
> > > "You kids get ready for bed while I wrap mother's present." Then
the
> > phone
> > > rang. Father yelled "answer the phone and tell 'em we found a
home
for
> > > Jesus." But it was mother calling with instructions for us to
come
to
> > 205
> > > Chestnut Street immediately, and bring three blankets, a box of
> cookies
> > and
> > > some milk..
> > >
> > > "Now what has she gotten us into?" father groaned as we bundled
up
> > again.
> > > "205 Chestnut. Why that's across town. Wrap that milk up good in
the
> > > blankets, or it
> > > will turn to ice before we get there. Why can't we all just get
on
with
> > > Christmas? it's probably 20 below out there now. And the wind is
> picking
> > up.
> > > Of all the crazy things to do on a night like this."
> > >
> > > When we got to the house at 205 Chestnut Street, it was the
darkest
one
> > on
> > > the block. Only one tiny light burned in the living room, and
the
> > moment we
> > > set foot on the porch steps, mother opened the door and shouted,
> > "They're
> > > here! Oh thank God you got here, Ray! You kids take those
blankets
> > > into the living room and wrap up the little ones on the couch.
I'll
> take
> > > the milk and cookies."
> > >
> > > "Would you mind telling me what is going on, Ethel?" father
asked.
"We
> > > have just walked through below zero weather with the wind in our
faces
> > all
> > > the way."
> > > "Never mind all that now," mother interrupted. "There is no heat
in
this
> > > house, and this young mother is so upset, she doesn't know what to
do.
> > Her
> > > husband walked out on
> > > her, and those poor little children will have a very bleak
Christmas,
so
> > > don't you
> > > complain. I told her you could fix that oil furnace in a jiffy. My
> mother
> > > strode off to the
> > > kitchen to warm the milk while my brother and I wrapped up the
five
> > little
> > > children who were huddled together on the couch. The children's
mother
> > > explained to my father that her husband had run off, taking
bedding,
> > > clothing, and almost every piece of furniture, but she had been
doing
> all
> > > right until the furnace broke down. "I been doin' washin' an
ironin'
for
> > > people and cleanin' the five and dime," she said. "I saw your
number
> > every
> > > day there, on those boxes on the counter. When the furnace went
> > > out, that number kept goin' through my mind. 7162 7162 "Said on
the
box
> > > that if a person was missin' Jesus, they should call you. That's
how
I
> > knew
> > > you were good Christian people, willin' to help folks. I figured
that
> > maybe
> > > you would help me, too. So I stopped at the grocery store tonight,
and I
> > > called your missus. I'm not missin' Jesus, mister, because I sure
love
> > the
> > > Lord. But I am missin' heat. I have no money to fix that furnace."
> > >
> > > "Okay, okay," said father. "You've come to the right place. Now
let's
> > see.
> > > You've got a little oil burner over there in the dining room.
Shouldn't
> > be
> > > too hard to fix. Probably just a clogged flue. I'll look it over,
see
> > what it needs."
> > >
> > > Mother came into the living room carrying a plate of cookies and
> > > warm milk. As she set the cups down on the coffee table, I
noticed
the
> > > figure of Baby Jesus lying in the center of the table. It was the
only
> > sign
> > > of Christmas in the house. The children stared wide-eyed with
wonder
at
> > the
> > > plate of cookies my mother set before them. Father finally got the
oil
> > burner
> > > working but said, "You need more oil. I'll make a
> > > few calls tonight and get some oil. Yes sir, you came to the right
> > place."
> > > Father grinned.
> > >
> > > On the way home, father did not complain about the cold weather
> > > and had barely set foot inside the door when he was on the phone.
"Ed,
> > hey,
> > > how are ya, Ed? Yes, Merry Christmas to you, too. Say Ed, we have
kind
> of
> > an unusual
> > > situation here. I know you've got that pick-up truck. Do you still
have
> > some
> > > oil in that barrel on your truck? You do?" By this time the rest
of
the
> > > family was pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of
their
> > > shelves. It was long after our bedtime when we were wrapping
gifts.
The
> > > pickup came. On it were chairs, three lamps, blankets and gifts.
Even
> > though
> > > it was 30 below, father let us ride along in the back of the
truck.
No
> > one
> > > ever did call about the missing figure in the nativity set, but as
I
> grow
> > older
> > > I realize that it wasn't a packing mistake at all. Jesus saves,
that's
> > what
> > > He does.