Why on earth did Gott make Christmas Eve fall on washday? Beth Miller just asked herself that, and she had good reason: all of the Old Order Amish women in her community had scrubbed, hung out, and collected their wash from the pulley lines several days before in preparation for a busy Christmas. She leaned over the washboard, thinking of how much she missed her only schwester, the one that had previously helped her on Christmas Eve. After a semi jackknifed off Interstate 71, killing her, her husband, and their driver, Christmas hadn’t been the same.
Lord, it is mighty lonely here without her. I love my girls, but they can never replace the sisterly chit-chat. I would love to be needed by my church sisters, but they all seem so busy. She took the dark brown dress and scrubbed it on the washboard, feeling her sluggish energy. She had plenty of energy, but she wanted to take her time, like a snail, for her girls were doing fine preparing food for the guests that would be arriving in a few hours.
The sound of praise rounded her haus, and she looked up from the washboard and saw her new neighbor, Ruth Yoder, coming up the drive-way. She quickly dropped the dress, ran inside, and told her oldest dochder to finish the laundry. She was going upstairs to take a nap as she was too tired for guests until the afternoon. “Tell her that I’ll see her next time, and to have a wunderbar afternoon,” she told her dochder, and she agreed, slightly nodding, her arms up to her elbows in suds in the wet sink.
******
Ruth came back into the back door of her kitchen, hung up her black bonnet, straightened her white prayer kapp, and sent up a prayer for hew neighbor, Beth, for she had come down with a terrible headache, making her miss out on preparing Christmas food for family and guests. To just think, minutes before, she’d complained, asking Gott for help, when she was well enough to carry on and finish her tasks. Taking her health for granted, she’d failed to see that she was blessed with the love of her life, a beautiful home, and vigor to execute her first Christmas Eve meal. Life was good, and she hoped that next Christmas Eve, Beth would get to enjoy all of the holiday chores.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Ruth Yoder finds herself in stress mode as she juggles the tasks of her first Christmas season as a new wife. Have you found yourself in stress mode? If so, what did you do to alleviate it? What things would you do differently?
2. A new marriage often creates a feeling of loneliness as the only female woman in the haus; did you see that Ruth only has chocolate walnut fudge left to make, so she really didn’t need help; she needed some female, sisterly conversation over holiday pie and hot chocolate. Although Beth Miller has a house full of girls, she misses the same sisterly conversation. Both women need a sister to lean on, but each reacts differently: Ruth comes over to invite Beth to pie and hot chocolate while Beth flees upstairs to bed, and she lies about a headache. Which would you have done, and why? Have you ever been like Ruth and sought out a friend or church sister just to hang out? Has a church sister invited you to hang out? Did you go and have fun? Instead, did you behave like Beth and block a friend’s friendly invitation, maybe locked yourself up in your house, feeling sorry for yourself?
3. Studies have shown that depression increases during the holidays, and, like Ruth, friends and neighbors, may come calling for friendly conversation. Will you chat with them, or turn them away? You may find a “Beth” in your family or community: one who doesn’t need you. Will you drop off a fresh loaf of baked bread with a written invite, or leave and pray for them like Ruth did for Beth?
4. Jot down three people that are like Ruth and three people that are like Beth. How will you react to these people after you’ve read this short story? Remember them on Christmas Eve.
FROM THE AUTHOR
I’ve been a “Ruth”, and I’ve been a “Beth”, and I can relate to the pain that being a “Beth” has, when you want to shut the whole world out, although the fellowship would benefit you. God knows this, and He doesn’t want the celebration for the birth of His Son, our personal Savior, to be a burden. Slow down this Christmas Eve…do the chores a couple of days early, and accept sisterly chit-chat over holiday pie and apple cider or hot chocolate, and most of all, be grateful and truthful.
AMISH RECIPES TO ENJOY ON CHRISTMAS EVE
FRIED YAMS WITH MAPLE SYRUP
3 large yams, peeled and quartered
1 cup raisins
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup shortening
Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to melt shortening, and then turn down to medium-low. Place the remaining ingredients in the skillet, place a lid to seal in steam and cook until tender, about thirty minutes. Drizzle warm maple syrup and serve.
BREAKFAST PIZZA
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups scrambled eggs
1 cup cooked bacon, chopped (crispy fried- it can be done the day before serving.)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped and seeded
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup shredded American cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a pizza pan and set aside. Combine spices. On a 9-inch pizza dough, spread salsa, then sprinkle spices, eggs, vegetable, and top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
HOT CHOCOLATE
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
Mix all and heat until well mixed and hot.
BEEF-RHUBARB SWEET PIE
2 pounds lean ground beef, cooked, crumbled, and drained
1 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups cooked rhubarb
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest from one orange
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 pie crusts
1 cup egg wash
1 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch deep dish pie crusts. Place one pie crust in each pie pan. Mix the remaining ingredients, except pie crusts and egg wash. Pour into pies and place top crust on, crimping edges. Flute the tops for the steam to escape. Baste with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
BOOK ELEVEN: AMISH CHRISTIANITY CHRISTMAS STORY: A FLASH SHORT STORY
By
Sicily Yoder
Dutch Farms Books
Photo courtesy of Photobucket.
Copyright 2012 by Sicily Yoder. Please contact the author if you would like to her to share any of the recipes in this book.
“She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.” Proverbs 31:16 KJV
To God alone, who protects my familye. You, I truly adore and serve with every breath. May I be a light to the world like your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.