Can Orphans Celebrate Christmas? | Chapter 4

     Winter had come to Bluebridge, Colorado, bringing with it freezing temperatures and lots of snow. The girls huddled close together, as they sat by the fire, to keep each other warm. Evangeline was in deep thought, reflecting. I've been here for almost a week, she mused. Time is flying! It's been such an amazing few days though. She thought back to her home in India, and to Papa Robert and Mama Sarah. Suddenly a wave of sadness came. How I miss them, she thought. I hope they are doing okay. I wonder what they are doing right now... Probably planning their Christmas service, she thought longingly, as she remembered how special they always made it. Most years, they would decorate the church building real fancy, and invite the community in for a big meal downstairs. Yakhni Pulao, that delicious rice and lamb dish served with yogurt, was one of Evangeline’s favorite dishes. They also had sanna cakes, and piles of mango and pineapple, cut into intricate little stars. Evangeline sighed. After the meal, they would make their way upstairs, where Papa Robert would read them all the Christmas story, straight from Luke. Then they'd sing carols until their throats were parched. Evangeline loved that part.

       The next morning during breakfast, Evangeline brought up Christmas. "Only six days until Christmas," she announced. "What do you all usually do to celebrate?" The girls looked around a each other, not sure what to say. Finally four-year-old Lavender broke the silence. "What's Christmas?" she asked, quizzically.

     "It's a holiday where rich parents give their children toys," fourteen-year old Mercy told her wistfully. 

     "Christmas is when I came here," twelve year old Poinsettia said cheerfully.

     "We don't usually celebrate Christmas," eighteen-year-old Charity answered.

     "But why?" Evangeline asked in shock. 

     "No point," Charity replied. "Besides, you need money to do that sort of thing. If you couldn't tell, we're sort of lacking in that."
     "Nonsense!" Evangeline cried. "You don't need money to celebrate Christmas! They're are lots of ways we can celebrate Christmas for free."

     "What's the point of celebrating Christmas if we can't afford presents?" ten-year-old Hannah asked.

     "The point?!" Evangeline exclaimed. "The point of Christmas is not presents, it's Jesus. We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came down as a baby to save us. Not only that, but it is possible to make  presents without spending money." 

     "Can orphans celebrate Christmas?" little Merry asked. "I always thought that Christmas was something you celebrated with your family." 

     "Merry," Evangeline reminded her, "of course we can celebrate Christmas! And besides, we are a family, don't you think?"

     "I guess." Merry answered solemnly.

     "I say we celebrate Christmas this year." Evangeline said after a moments pause. "Anyone with me? Reluctantly, the girls agreed. 

     After breakfast was finished, Evangeline went up to the attic. How can I make Christmas special for these girls? 

  

Dear Diary, Today I'm Pondering These Dear Girls...

Here is a beautiful mountain view I passed on my way to Colorado!

December 18th, 1932

     Dear Diary,

     Today I'm pondering these dear girls' lives. They've been through so much. Most of them lost both parents; some were abandoned. Rare is the case that they were lovingly brought here. If losing their parents isn't enough, then they usually are sent to various relatives' houses, tossed to-and-fro like a useless item no one has time for. After that, they are sent to some orphanage often filled with dirt, rats, and fleas, where they're taken care of by an exhausted, worn-out keeper. Before long, they're often sent to another orphanage, where they're a stranger all over again. Not all orphans have an ending like mine—adopted at age six by loving parents, raised in a clean and warm home, and taught about Jesus. No, most of them live at orphanages for the rest of their childhoods, then are off on the streets, unprepared and owning nothing. I've never considered how blessed I am before. It's my duty to help these girls.

     Note: The McGradys take care of the girls the best they can! They show more love to the children than any orphanage keeper I've ever met. The examples I gave were about most orphanages. The McGradys may be poor, but they are rich in love.

Twenty-six girls with stories like mine:

Orphaned, abandoned, just plain left-behind.

Some still remember their families long passed;

Some were just infants when they saw them last.

Twenty-six girls with stories so vast

Were brought to this home, where they're loved at long last.

But still, they hold memories of things long ago,

Places they've went, and people they've known.

Will they ever move on past the horrors of time?

Forgiveness and peace, will they ever find?

O Lord, how I beg Thee, please speak to their souls!

Fill them with hope, please make them all whole.

Chapter 3 | To Shine God's Light

     If you visited the Bluebridge Orphanage for Girls right now, you would find Mr. McGrady in the lobby, hammering down some nails that have recently come loose in the floor. He would point down the hall to the great room, and tell you Mrs. McGrady has just made some delicious pumpkin muffins, and that they taste mighty fine.
     When you reach the Great Room, you'll see an old Irish woman seated in a rocker, with a little baby on her lap, and two more playing on the ground. She sings an old Irish hymn, and she feeds the youngest from the bottle. When you approach, she stops, and asks how she can help you.

     "I'm just visiting," you tell her, and she points up stairs, telling you the girls are in the attic. "They're in a class right now," she says, "but you're welcome to go in and listen too." You head upstairs, expecting to find an old dingy attic, but are surprised and delighted when you enter the bright and cheery room!

     The shutters have been opened, letting a beautiful light shine through the windows, illuminating the room. There is a cot in the corner, covered with a beautiful patchwork quilt, made from vibrant scraps of red, blue, purple, and yellow. There are colorful drawing hanging all over the wall, and some beautiful fall flowers in a vase, brightening the room even more, while also adding a delightful aroma. In the center of the room, sits a young woman, surrounded by twenty-three girls, ranging from ages two to eighteen years, singing song after song, with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts. Suddenly, they notice you, and stop.
     "May I help you?" the woman asks.
     "No," you tell her. "I was just hoping to stay a few minutes, if that's alright with you."
     "Of course!" she tells you with a smile. "And you're just in time! Elizabeth dear, would you please pass out the muffins now?"

     Excitedly, the little girl of about eight years old jumps up, and runs over to where the basket of muffins is lying in the corner. She passes them out to everyone, and you can tell she's been waiting anxiously to do so.
     "My name is Evangeline," the woman tells you, and you tell her your name in return. After a few moments, she begins to speak.

     "My dear girls," Evangeline begins. "Have you ever gazed at the moon, shining in the sky at night? I used to love to sit out on the roof as a girl, and watch at the moon and stars."
      Some girls nod, and she continues.
     "Did you know, that even though it appears the moon is illuminating the night, the moon does not shine of itself at all. The moon is only reflecting the sun's light."
     She stood, and closed the shutters. "Charlotte," she said, "please pass the candle and match." When she did, Evangeline placed it in the middle. "This candle is not being very useful, is it?" she said with a laugh. The girls were quiet. After a moment, one little girl broke the silence, stating the obvious answer. "Well, that's because you didn't light it!" she said.

photo from Unsplash

    "Yes, Merry," Evangeline said gently. "It cannot light up the room for us by itself. It needs the fire." She struck the match, and lit the candle. "Now the candle is shining brightly, and the room is not as dark.
     The girls listened intently. "Just as the moon needs the sun to light up the night sky, and the candle needs the fire to light up the room, we need God to spread light into the world.
     "But how can we shine God's light," she continued, "if we never spend time with God?" she looked around at the girls. No one answered.  "We cannot." she told them. "Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse?"
     "I remember seeing an eclipse before!" Merry exclaimed. "We were looking out the window, and the moon disappeared!"
     "Yes, Merry," Evangeline agreed. "During a lunar eclipse, it looks like the moon is disappearing. It's really still there, it's just not lit up, because the sun's light is not shining on it. Without the sun, the moon cannot light up the night sky. We need to spend time with God, so that we can shine His light in the world.