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.”
