Christmas Angels

These little angels, depicted in a frescoe by Rafael in the Sistine Chapel, look bored and impatient with whatever it is that they are witnessing in heaven.  After what I saw yesterday morning, I am sure that Rafael must have used children performing in a Christmas program as the inspiration for his masterpiece.

These little cherubs put on quite a show for us yesterday morning.  The church was full of visitors, mostly family members, who had come to see their "little angel" perform.  The young ones timidly sang their songs and recited their verses and then impatiently waited while the rest of the program continued on to its conlusion.  The antics of the children is always one of the most memorable aspects of any Christmas program; the stumbles, the mumbles, and the missteps that cause us to giggle just a bit as the old familiar story is told.  Children are notorious for their short attention span and their delightfully innocent ignorance of what is appropriate at such austere occasions. 

This adorable picture of our little cherubs, brought a lesson to my mind about how we must look to God at times.  Our Father has set in motion an elaborate presentation of His eternal plan of redemption.  The stage upon which this story is set is much larger than we can imagine.  He has chosen to give us a starring role, but our part is only a small piece of the whole.  It is an epic story, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die for those who had turned their backs on Him.  He sent that Son into this world through a virgin birth in a lowly place with a lofty goal of changing lives for eternity.  Those of us who have received this amazing gift are then called upon to be His messengers, proclaiming this magnificent story to the whole world.  Yet in the middle of this amazing spectacle, we are often found, pouting and disinterested. 

I know that Christmas in the 21st century lays a heavy layer of demands on most of us.  I know that the commercialized version of Christmas in America strays far from its original intent.  But I'd like to challenge you to remember what it really means, what its all about.  And never forget that you are His "little angel" entrusted with the task of proclaiming good tidings of great joy that shall be to all people. Stand up straight, let His light twinkle in your eyes, and speak up so everyone can hear you.  Your Father is watching.