TWO BABIES IN A MANGER
Submitted by: Exousia113 and Margo
BentzlerIn
1994, two Americans answered an invitation from
the Russian Department of Education to teach
morals and ethics (based on biblical principles)
in the public schools. They were invited to teach
at prisons, businesses, the fire and police
departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys
and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and
left in the care of a government-run program were
in the orphanage. They relate the following story
in their own words:
It was nearing
the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to
hear, for the first time, the traditional story
of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph
arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the
inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby
Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout
the story, the children and orphanage staff sat
in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the
edges of their stools, trying to grasp every
word. Completing the story, we gave the children
three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude
manger. Each child was given a small paper
square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought
with me. No colored paper was available in the
city.
Following
instructions, the children tore the paper and
carefully laid strips in the manger for straw.
Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out
nightgown an American lady was throwing away as
she left Russia, were used for the baby's
blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt
we had brought from the United States.
The orphans were
busy assembling their manger as I walked among
them to see if they needed any help. All went
well until I got to one table where Little Mish
sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had
finished his project. As I looked at the little
boy's manger, was startled to see not one, but
two babies in the manger.
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Quickly, I called for the
translator to ask the lad why there were two
babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front
of him and looking at this completed manger
scene, the child began to repeat the story very
seriously. For such a young boy, who had only
heard the Christmas story once, he related the
happenings accurately-until he came to the part
where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then
Mish started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending
to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby
in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if
I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma
and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to
stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him.
But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have
a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I
wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought
about what I had that maybe I could use for a
gift. I thought maybe if I kept him Warm, that
would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If
I keep you warm, will that be a good enough
gift?" And Jesus told me, "If you keep
me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever
gave me." "So I got into the manger,
and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I
could stay with him---for always."
As little Mish
finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of
tears that splashed down his little cheeks.
Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped
to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed
and sobbed.
The Little
orphan had found someone who would never abandon
nor abuse him, someone who would stay with
him-FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what
you have in your life, but who you have in your
life that counts.
Keith
Wiederhoeft
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