Sunday, December 15, 2013

LOTS AND LOTS OF ANGELS!




LOTS AND LOTS OF ANGELS
A Story written by Great Grandma Bubi-Lee aka Leona Choy
for Makenna Humes' third birthday/Christmas.
(Bubi Lee “heard” it from Chera and Sera)
(Well-known Christmas songs are in italics.)

“Hi Makenna. We are two Christmas angels who have come to tell you a “once-upon-a-time” true story,” said Chera. We look like twins, but I have a red bow in my hair.”

“And I have a green bow,” chimed in Sera.

“Your Great Grandma Bubi-Lee found us at the parish Christmas Fair at her Church this year. We were standing on the same shelf where she found our friend, the injured-wing angel named “Boo-boo” whose story Bubi-Lee wrote for you before. The lady selling gifts saw Bubi-Lee coming in the door. She smiled and said, “I believe there are some lovely twin angels this time just waiting for you to find them.”

“Sure enough, as soon as she saw them, Bubi-Lee was delighted! She paid the money, and the lady wrapped us carefully to bring to you for your birthday and Christmas, Makenna,” said Chera. But first Bubi-Lee asked us to tell her a story about ourselves so she could write it for you. This is the story we told her.”

“We will both join in to tell you what an exciting part we had in announcing the first Christmas when baby Jesus was born. My name is Chera. That is a short name for our family which is called Cherabim. Father God created many angels in our heavenly family—lots and lots and lots of us. Some people call us 'cherubs' and paint pretend pictures of what they imagine we look like—chubby, naked babies with rosy cheeks and little wings. Some people made up the story that we shoot invisible arrows at boys and girls on Valentine's Day to cause them to love each other.”

“But that's not what you are really like, is it?” laughed Sera.

“No, we angels are invisible to everyone except Father God. If He has a special job for us, He lets us appear to people so they can see us for a little while. But angels were never babies. Father God created us already grown up and very wise and we never grow older. People don't become angels when they go to heaven. People always stay people and angels always stay angels. We angels live close to Father God's throne in heaven so we can do whatever good things He wants us to do. Sometimes He sends us to Earth to protect and guard people and places. Tell Makenna who you are, Sera.”

“My name is Sera. That is a short name for our family of angels called Seraphim. We are 'Angels from the realms of Glory.' Together with Chera's family, we are the highest group of angels that God created. We were chosen by Father God to proclaim 'The First Noel' to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night that was so deep. In heaven we constantly love to sing to Him the song: 'Holy, Holy, Holy!'”

Chera went on with their story, “'How Great Our Joy!' when Father God sent us to the 'Little Town of Bethlehem' where most people were in deep and dreamless sleep. They didn't know that very night in their dark streets was shining the Everlasting Light—Baby Jesus, the Light of the world, was born. 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.'”

“'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks' by night on that 'Silent Night, Holy Night' lots and lots and lots of angels, filled the sky with such a great, brilliant light that it almost blinded the shepherds. And that glowing glory-light really scared them. It frightened the sheep too,” laughed Sera. “Instead of sleeping peacefully in the rock cave where the shepherds guarded them for the night, the sheep began to run out of the fold and scamper around on the hills crying 'Baa, baa!'” 

“First the angel Gabriel appeared in the sky so large that he seemed bigger than the whole world. His name means 'Mighty one of God.' He is the special angel who Father God sends to bring important messages for Him to people on earth. Like when He told Jesus' mother Mary that she would give birth to baby Jesus.”

“And Gabriel spoke to Jesus' foster father Joseph in a dream several times and told him what to do to care for and protect baby Jesus and his mother,” added Sera.

“Gabriel was the first 'Herald Angel' to announce to the shepherds, 'For unto us a Child is born.' He told them that they should not be afraid because he was bringing 'Joy to the world'—a special baby had been born—but 'What Child is this?' He wasn't just an ordinary baby. This was 'The Birthday of a King!'”

“Jesus was Father-God's Son in heaven before He came to earth. 'Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne' and thy kingly crown to come to save Earth people and prepare them for heaven,” explained Chera.
“I'll never forget those wonderful words,” said Sera. “In a booming voice Gabriel called out that Father God was announcing this news for everybody. 'This day a Savior is born for you and He is Christ the Lord' and every heart should prepare Him room.” 

“Then Gabriel told the shepherds exactly where to find the baby. He would be lying in a feeding box for donkeys and cows 'Away in the Manger'. He would have no crib for a bed to lay down His sweet head. Gabriel told them exactly what clothes the baby would be wearing so the shepherds wouldn't make a mistake in finding Him.”

Chera became so excited. “'O Holy Night!' The stars were brightly shining. O night divine! That's when the whole sky seemed to open up and Father God sent a big crowd of us, a multitude of the heavenly host—lots and lots and lots of angels—more than anyone could count—to join in the celebration for Jesus' birthday. 'How Great Our Joy!' Joy! Joy! Joy! The dark night seemed to turn as bright as daylight because we brought the glory of the Lord with us. We all danced across the sky and sang as loud as we could, “'Gloria in excelsis Deo!'”

“Tell Makenna what those Latin words mean which lots and lots and lots of us angels sang in a big chorus,” said Sera.

“They mean in English, 'Glory to God in the highest!'” and Gabriel told us to add, 'Peace on earth to men of good will!'”

“We angels had just as much fun celebrating as we did when Father God created the Planet Earth and showed us all the marvelous things He made—the plants, and animals, mountains, and oceans, and the first people!” exclaimed Chera. “We sang creation's story then, and now we get to sing and proclaim Messiah's birth.”

“Then lots and lots and lots of us angels kept singing for a long time while the heavenly glory-light shone around us. Finally Father God called us back to His Kingdom in the heavens. The shepherds left someone in charge to guard the sheep, and they hurried off to 'Go tell it on the Mountains' over the hills and everywhere that Jesus Christ was born. They finally arrived at the birthday party of Jesus 'Away in the Manger.' They told all the people they met, 'From the Angels We Have Heard on High' as they were sweetly singing o'er the plains.'”

“Makenna, would you like to have us sing a song for you about Jesus' birthday? It would make Jesus happy if you sang along with us. Father God gave you the gift of such a sweet singing voice.

Away in a manger no crib for a bed
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.”

“We have come to stay with you, Makenna. We would love to guard and protect you. We will be happy to share a shelf with angel Boo-boo at your house.”

Chera and Sera promised, “On Christmas we two will hold a candle and your Mommy or Daddy may light it. That light will remind you that Jesus is the Light of the world. And remind you of the glory-light in the sky on that special night of our dear Savior's birth when we joined lots and lots and lots of angels to announce to the world that the 'Long-Expected Jesus' had come to set His people free.”