Globe Syndicate
for release December 20, 2002
Another Way
by Melodie Davis
Unscripted Moments
The little shepherd boy had refused to take a nap that day, as kids often do
when something big is happening. But the show would go on. The father, a drama
teacher at a local middle school, was to be the main character in a skit at our
church's 5:00 p.m. "Family" Christmas Eve service. His three-year-old son,
Andrew, was to play the part of a little shepherd boy. Andrew has a cherubic
face with soft marshmallow-cheeks, and he was all dressed up in a very realistic
drama-department costume (no making-do with bathrobe costumes for this shepherd
and son).
The father shepherd delivered most of the lines, but Andrew, never at a lost for
words, piped up with his planned lines perfectly on cue. He loved attention
anyway, so the drama was a perfect outlet for his budding gifts.
But about half way through the drama, the little shepherd boy's eyelids began to
droop considerably. The father, well versed in glossing over hitches in
productions, ad-libbed "You must be getting tired. Why don't you come sit on my
lap and I'll finish the story."
Andrew climbed into his shepherd-dad's lap, smiled, and the drama went on. But
the eyelids got heavy again, and I thought, "Wow, this little boy really is a
great actor because he sure looks believable, like he's really getting sleepy."
His little head would nod and jerk, and father stroked his arm in a futile
effort to keep him roused.
By this time most everyone in the front of the church had caught on that yes,
Andrew, the little actor, was really falling fast asleep right up there on the
stage, and there wasn't a thing his poor father/drama director could do about
it. How do you keep a nodding three year old awake? There were titters
throughout the audience and finally even dad broke character and couldn't help
suppressing a chuckle about his sleeping little shepherd boy. We imagined that
yes, if there were any little shepherd boys really out helping their dads watch
the sheep on that big big night, that they very well might have nodded off on
Dad's shoulder about the time that the angels were singing their "Glory to God
in the highest."
It was the highlight of the whole Christmas Eve service. Somehow it is always
the unplanned, unscripted moments that bring serendipity to Christmas programs
and activities. Maybe it is how God breaks through to us when we have a set idea
of how things should go, of how we should live our lives.
I'm sure Mary, the mother of the baby Jesus whose birth we dramatize and
celebrate during this season, was not thrilled with her unplanned pregnancy. She
must have been mortified not only because of her unwed status in that day but
because of the fact that she could be rejected by her fiancé, Joseph, and
actually stoned to death. She was not expecting to meet an angel or heavenly
visitor telling her that she was going to have a baby. And most of all, I'm sure
she didn't think she was up to being the mother of the long-expected Messiah of
her faith tradition. Who would?
But, after a few awkward moments, she responded, "I am the Lord's servant. Let
it happen as you have said." Later, when she visited her cousin Elizabeth who
was also unexpectedly and joyfully pregnant, Mary burst out with a beautiful
poem which we refer to as the "Song of Mary," (in the New Testament book of
Luke, chapter 1), as poetic as any scripted by a polished dramatist.
And Joseph was equally caught by having the script change for his life. He was
just a plain carpenter. He was no king or prince with royal bloodline, yet
through the son he raised, Joseph's name was destined to be remembered for all
time. Joseph did not shrink from his assignment, either. His fiancé, pregnant.
What would people think of him, no matter what were his protests? What would
people think of Mary? After receiving a heavenly visit, too, he reversed his
decision to not marry Mary, and went ahead with the wedding. To his everlasting
credit.
As parents and as persons, there are many times we have to pick up when things
don't turn out like we've planned, and ad lib. There are times when God uses
unusual circumstances to break through and give us a new script: go here, try
this, be this kind of person.
May you have a serendipitous moment this season that becomes the highlight of
your Christmas. Maybe you'll even receive new insight for your life, or
experience a turning point. The creative God of unplanned, unscripted moments is
like that. A joyous Christmas to you.
Do you have any unscripted Christmas moments/stories to share for possible use
in a future column? Send to: Melodie Davis, Another Way c/o Name\Address of YOUR
newspaper; or e-mail: Melodie@mennomedia.org.
You can also visit Another Way on the Web at www.thirdway.com.
Melodie Davis is the author of seven books and has written her column since
1987. She taught feature writing and has won awards from the National Federation
of Press Women, Virginia Press Women and the American Advertising Association.
She and her husband have three daughters.
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©2002 by Globe Syndicate, all rights reserved.