Christmas Treasures

BEN PULLED BACK THE BEDROOM CURTAIN SUNDAY MORNING and blinked at the bright sun. The sky was a clear, vivid blue with only a few high clouds, and the air outside already felt warm. It was going to be a perfect day, he thought. A good one for gardening if he got out there before the heat of the day, and if Carolyn didn’t make too much of a fuss. Even if he didn’t mow the lawn, he could pull a few weeds and clip things back. The shrub roses and daylilies were already in bloom, the hydrangea and daisies on their way. All they needed was a little encouragement.

He had big plans for his garden this year, thinning out the tiger lily patch and putting in some fresh new perennials and an herb garden by the back door. He could picture it all in place and how good it would look by midsummer.

Ben quickly showered and dressed, then headed for the church. With such fine weather, there would be sparse attendance today. The children had soccer and baseball games, and there were weekend trips for families. But that did not stop Ben from preparing an interesting sermon, whether he was preaching to one congregant or one hundred.

He donned his white cassock and arranged the stole over his shoulders. It was green this time of year, Ordinary Time in the church calendar, for the color of life and new growth. Ben smoothed down the edges of the fabric, feeling as if it was a flag of his spirit. Ever since he had returned from his heart surgery, he’d felt the rush of new energy in his work here. New life, new growth, and he was very thankful for it.

After saying a short prayer, Ben gathered the notes for his sermon and this morning’s announcements, with a very special message to the congregation right on top, and headed for the sanctuary.

As he’d guessed, the pews were partly empty this morning, but everyone in attendance seemed cheerful and bright. The sanctuary doors and the doors to the outside had been left open to let in the fresh air and sunlight. As the choir concluded their opening hymn, he took his place at the pulpit and stood quietly for a moment.

Then he smiled at the congregation and said, “I want to welcome everyone who has come to worship on this beautiful Sunday morning. Before we begin the service, I have a few announcements. But before that, I want to share a special message I received, just last night, from Reverend Isabel Lawrence.

“As most of you know, she has been working in a mission down in Nicaragua for the last six months, since leaving Cape Light.”

“Here’s what she says: ‘Dear Ben, First I’m writing to let the congregation know that we’ve just received their donations and all the supplies. Wow . . . what an amazing gift! We are so thankful to all of you for making the effort to help us this way.

“‘The priority right now is fresh water, and these funds will go a very long way to building a water system in this village.

“‘The school supplies are also greatly needed, and the children here are thrilled with every last pencil. They’ll write their own thank-you notes soon to the children of the church school. We love the idea of having pen pals up in Cape Light, so please thank Jessica Morgan for that wonderful invitation.’”

Jessica was in church today, and Ben caught her eye. Inviting the children in Isabel’s village to be pen friends with the church school students had been an inspiration. He thought of how much both groups of children would learn, and how it would go far toward building a relationship between the church and the village, something he planned to work on, too. Sometime in the near future, he hoped to take a group from the church there for a work visit. An adventure he’d planned for his retirement, he recalled with a secret smile. But why wait?

“‘What can I tell you about my life down here?’” he continued from Isabel’s letter. “‘I suppose most people would say it’s hard work, but I honestly don’t see it that way. I’m helping in the village, both with the building and in the school. I do feel tired at times, but in a satisfied way. Which makes all the difference in life, I guess.

“‘We can see that we’re making a great difference in the lives of these families every day, especially the children, who are now growing up with better health and education and a more hopeful future.

“‘Please tell the congregation that I miss all my friends there and think of them often. It was very hard to leave Cape Light, but the fact that you were able to return to your church—and I have and will always think of it as yours, Ben—made everything so clear to me.

“‘I appreciate your offer to hold another fund drive for us. The church can send the donations from that collection with Jacob and Max Ferguson, who plan to visit in July or August.’”

Ben checked the pews and found Max and his father and smiled at them in acknowledgment. The two had been fairly regularly in attendance ever since Christmas, and Ben knew that they’d kept in close touch with Isabel. He was pleased to see that relationship thriving this summer, too.

“‘I’m not sure when I’ll be back in the States,’” her note continued, “‘but when I do return, I’ll be sure to visit all of you. May God watch over you and the entire congregation, and bless all that you do. Much love, Isabel.’”

Ben smiled gently at her closing words, then paused a moment and looked out at the familiar faces. Through the open doors of the sanctuary, he could hear the sounds of birds chirping and children playing on the village green. The sounds of life, in all its richness and fullness.

He felt a sudden rush of gratitude to be here on this summer morning, feeling strong and full of spirit and about to lead worship at the old stone church on the green in Cape Light.