The following is
shared by two missionaries serving in Russia, whose primary focus was
providing medical help (and the gospel) to many of the orphanages that
were so badly under-staffed and under-funded. This is their story; the
story of Misha and the
Two Babes in a
Manger.
It was nearing the holiday
season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the
traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph
arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a
stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Throughout the story, the
children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat
on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the
story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a
crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow
napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the
city.
Following instructions, the
children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for
straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an
American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the
baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought
from the United States.
The orphans were busy
assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any
help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He
looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked
at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies
in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why
there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him
and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the
story very seriously.
For such a young boy, who had
only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings
accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in
the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to
the story as he said, "And when Mary laid the baby in the manger,
Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I
have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then
Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I
didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to
stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could
use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good
gift.
"So I asked Jesus, 'If I
keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?'
"And Jesus told me, 'If
you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.'
So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I
could stay with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his
story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little
cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and
his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.
The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse
him, someone who would stay with him - FOR ALWAYS.
Forwarded from an email received fron The Institute for Motivational
Living, Inc.
web:
http://www.discinsights.com
