“What’s it?” Her momma asks.
Molly points upward. “The sparkly angel dolls you made last year.”
“I’m sorry Sweetie, but those halos are way too small even for Maverick’s head.”
“Not the halos, the little yellow lights you wrapped around them. They’d be perfect to wrap around Mav’rick’s halo. Please momma,” Molly begs.
“That’s a wonderful idea. Plus, they’re battery operated. I don’t have any extra, so I’ll take a strand off of one and you can use it for the halo.” She immediately takes an angel doll down and unwinds the lights off of it. Then she hands it to Molly. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Momma!” Molly gives her momma a tight hug.
As soon as she finishes twisting the lights onto the halo, she shows it to Maverick. “See? You’re gonna be the best baby Jesus ever!”
******
The night before the play, Maverick becomes fussy. He doesn’t have a fever and isn’t sick in any way. He even eats and drinks the way he’s supposed to do. Her momma doesn’t understand it, but he won’t be playing Jesus in the church play.
The next night, Sara still takes the halo she made to church. Mr. Holbert goes to search for the doll to used for Jesus. She can’t help but to cry.
“What’s wrong Molly?” Preacher Anderson bends down to her level.
“We have to use the doll again ‘cause Mav’rick’s fussy.” She turns on the halo lights. “I worked so hard to get so sparkly.”
“I can tell. You did an amazing job on it,” Preacher Anderson agrees.
“It doesn’t matter now. Mav’rick’s halo won’t look as good for a doll.” Molly rubs her eyes.
“I’m sorry Molly, but we can’t have any empty cradle for the Nativity scene.”
Molly looks at the empty manger. Then she looks toward the back of the stage to see if Mr. Holbert has found the doll. That’s when she sees the empty cross. She points to it. “At Easter, you use the empty cross ‘cause Jesus isn’t on it any more. So why can’t you have an empty cradle at Christmas since Jesus isn’t a baby now either?”
For a few seconds, Preacher Anderson doesn’t say anything. Then he kisses the top of her head. “It’s amazing how God houses the humble and the small to teach us lessons.”
“I finally found the doll.” Mr. Holbert walks back with it.
“We’re not going to be needing it.” Preacher Anderson tells him as he walks to the microphone. “May I have your attention please. I just learned an important Christmas lesson. While Jesus did come in as a baby; He isn’t one now. So the manger should be empty. The cross we use at Easter is also empty because He is resurrected and no longer on it.”
Preacher Anderson holds his hand out and Molly gives him the halo. “Molly made this spectacular halo. But…” He unwinds the lights and hands them back to Molly. “But now it represents the crown of thorns. Can somebody move the cross up to us?”
Molly’s brother Jimmy and his friend Tim move the cross. Roxy follows and wags her tail under the sheep costume.
“Thank you.” Preacher Anderson places the halo/thorny crown over the top of the cross. “Like Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ Now we are waiting His triumphant return.” He lifts up Molly.
“Merry EasterChristmas!” Molly calls out.
Roxy barks her approval, which causes everyone to laugh.
“What is the first song in the program?” Preacher Anderson asks.
“It was going to be “Away in a Manger,” but I think we should sing “The Old Rugged Cross” instead.”
As they began to sing, Molly whispers in his ear: “So do I get twice the candy now?”