Papaw’s Christmas Gifts

By Rev. Dean Beaty 12/3/08

     The four of us,  Tyler, Leah, Eric, and I, Lydia all woke up early Christmas morning.  We were all excited to see our gifts.  We hurried to the kitchen in pj’s to get hot chocolate and marshmallows, a grandma mommy tradition.  With our drinks in hand we hurried to the den. There was grandma mommies perfectly decorated tree.  But what was that beside the tree?  Two long pieces of fence post. Oh well, papaw was always up to some mischief and he would tell us later.  

     First we read the Bible Christmas story.  This was always first before we opened any gifts. Then we all took turns to see what each other had gotten.  Leah got a watch, Eric got a knife, Tyler got a game, and I got a new purse.  Plus a lot of other stuff we really needed, like underwear and socks. 

      Only papaw’s four gifts were left.  Mine would probably be a rubber snake.  That was his idea of a joke.  Well it was long and round, but it was a 10 foot piece of thick rope.  That was just what I needed to tie up Eric to keep him out of my stuff.  He can really get on my nerves.  Leah was next with a pen and a yellowed piece of paper.  At least the pen was useful.  Eric got a new hatchet. That would fit him to a “T”.  He was always destroying something.  Tyler got a rusty nail and a hammer. But what was it all about?  

     With all the excitement we had forgotten the fence posts . Maybe that was where we would tie Eric. But alas, no.  Papaw had Eric take his hatchet and chop a 5 inch notch out of each post.  Now it was my turn.  He had me twist the rope around the two posts.  Oh! It was a cross. Then he had Leah take her new pen and write on the old yellowed paper, “Jesus Christ, King of the Jews.” He let her do it in English instead of Greek.

     Together with Tyler’s hammer and nail we tacked Leah’s paper to the top of the cross.  With a lot of effort we stood it up next to the Christmas tree.  Papaw had made his point.  Do not forget the real reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  It does not end with the babe in a manger.  But Jesus died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins. Eric kept the hatchet, Leah kept the pen and Tyler kept his hammer, and I kept the memory of what Christmas is really all about. 

Thank you papaw.