Reflecting the true spirit of Christmas

I do sense the vibes in our rural sector to be much more positive this year than they were just 12 months ago when 2023 closed out. Last I checked, the schedules were looking much more promising than this time last year.

A big shout out as the year ends for those like Groundswell who do so much for our farming communities.

Your team is doing a great job!

To wrap up ’24 for me, I thought I would share a rather cute Christmas story I came across years ago. As I recall, it was first published in the mid 1960s.

For many years now, folks from a small town in America’s mid-west still tell of this moment. One Christmas pageant stands tall for them, above all the rest.

Wally was 9 that year and most knew he had difficulty keeping up with the others in his class. Bigger and slower than the other children, he often got left out of the games 9-year-olds play. Especially the ball games where winning was involved.

As the annual Christmas pageant arrived, Wally had ideas of being one of the shepherds playing a flute. But the director, thinking he would have too many lines to learn, assigned him a ‘more important role’, that of the innkeeper.

Well, the usual audience finally gathered for the big night, their annual Christmas extravaganza. And Wally was totally caught up in the magic of it all.

The time came when Joseph appeared on stage, tenderly guiding a very pregnant Mary up to the large wooden door set in the stage backdrop. As Joseph knocked loudly on the inn door, Wally was right on cue swinging the door open. With the required brusque gesture, he demanded from the visitors: “What do you want?"

“We seek lodging,” said Joseph. “Seek it elsewhere,” the innkeeper promptly replied.

“Sir, we have looked everywhere. We have travelled far and are very weary,” Joseph said.

“There is no room in this inn for you,” Wally replied, looking properly stern.

“Please good innkeeper, this is my wife, Mary. She is having a baby and we need a place to rest tonight. Surely you must have some small place for us?”

For the first time, the innkeeper relaxed his stern appearance and looked at Mary. A long pause followed, which started to concern some in the audience.

“No… begone,” the prompter in the wings whispered. “No. Begone!” said Wally copying the prompter.

Suddenly the play started to go off script. Wally did not shut the inn door as he had practiced. As the couple left, he just stood there with mouth wide open, and tears unmistakably filling his eyes.

And then this: “Don’t go Joseph… bring Mary back” he called to the couple. “You can have my room!”

The play continued, back on script now, to its conclusion. But somehow Wally had given the audience a moment they would never forget!

Yes, a few in the crowd thought Wally had in some way spoiled the show. However, most of the folks there that night thought this pageant topped them all. They agreed it was the most Christmas of all the pageants they had ever seen. It had reflected the true spirit of Christmas, where others did not.

Keep well and have a blessed Christmas and holiday break.

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