In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department
of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in
the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the
fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls
who had been abandoned,abused, and left in the care of a government-runp
rogram were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own
words:
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 Maria 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.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in
your life that counts.
