Surprised and Touched

Last night I read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to the kids. I remember reading it when I was a kid and thinking that it was the most hilarious book I had ever read.


I looked forward to sharing with my kids how deplorable the Herdman kids were, and all the funny and crazy things they did. From smoking cigars, to burning down a tool shed... all I remembered about the book was how funny it was.

But I was in for a surprise. I forgot how much the kids who had never heard of Jesus before got into the story of his birth. They were so mad that Jesus was born in a barn, and they wanted to lynch old King Herod.

Then, as we were reading about the night of the pageant I was brought to tears. Those dirty, terrible, Herdman boys (playing wise men) thought that oil was a pretty rotten gift for baby Jesus, so they brought their Christmas ham that came in their welfare basket. Oh, my goodness. I had to put the book down and collect myself.

That ham was the best thing that the Herdmans had. What a good example they were. Let us all bring our BEST GIFTS to the Lord.

Merry Christmas.