Gold, Common Sense, and Fur

[rick]

Here is a cute story for all the Mother's I know!

Gold, Common sense and Fur,

> My husband and I had been happily (most of the time) married
> for five years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to
> do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give
> us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart
> and raise it with his word as my guide.

> God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next
> year God blessed us with another son. The following year, he
> blessed us with yet another son. The year after that we were
> blessed with a daughter.

> My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We
> now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old.
> I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a
> minister once told me, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry
> an umbrella."

> I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each
> day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had
> entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint him.

> I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs
> on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks.

> I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless
> frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours
> to catch all twenty-three frogs.

> When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up
> in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the
> humor rather than the mess. In spite of changing over twenty-five
> thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for
> more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my
> children.

> While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't
> even come close - I did keep my promise to raise them in the
> Word of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a li ttle when I
> told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she
> wanted to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too.

> Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave
> us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to
> give us his "last wife."

> My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant.
> My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and
> my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine.

> My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the
> babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said,
> "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary"
> said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes."

> A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was
> stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing.
> I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll
> representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying,
> "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held
> it tightly as the wise men arrived.

> My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper
> crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise
> men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."

> The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a
> standing ovation. "I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as
> much as this one," laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his
> eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story
> without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."
> "My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing,
> " I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

> Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree,
> yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him
> Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military
> battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet
> they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
> Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.