A Reason to Believe

Gary Belhomme

Christmas Eve Stories • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

Christmas

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THE YOUNG man fidgeted in the pew and let out a very audible sigh. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his mom look his way, which was just what he wanted. If he had to be miserable tonight, he was going to make them miserable too. I don’t want to be here, he thought. We go to church every weekend. Why tonight too? He wondered how much longer the service would be as the choir stood up. He looked at his watch, wondering if he’d be late. But between glances at his watch, he found himself listening.

O Come All Ye Faithful

Okay, the choir is done! He thought with relief. One step closer to leaving. Ten the young man slumped in the pew as children made their way to the front. Come on! The preaching guy hasn’t even gotten up yet! This is going to take forever.

He glared at his parents. Why do we have to be here tonight of all nights? his thoughts raged. I’m going to be late for Hayden’s party.

But his mom and dad had said earlier that night, “On Christmas Eve, family comes first.” He’d stomped to his room and gotten dressed, leaving his dress shirt untucked in a move of defiance. He thought his mom would scold him, but she just thanked him for changing. Now he angrily tugged at his tie which he was certain would choke him to death before the service ended. Ten his sister and the other children began to perform.

The First Noel

He clapped with the rest of the congregation as the children returned to their seats. When is this going to end? he wondered, as Audrey bounced past him into the pew. She beamed as their parents hugged and quietly congratulated her. He watched his wide-eyed sister smiling and shook his head. Christmas is just not like it used to be. I’ve heard the story so many times. Who knows if it’s even true? I’ve been taught about God and Jesus since before I can even remember, but do I really believe all this? As the pastor stood to begin his sermon, the young man turned around to scan the crowd. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Marissa and noticed she was looking at him, too. She smiled and then looked at her shoes. He felt his face turn hot as he, too, looked away. When he glanced back again, he saw Marissa intently listening to the man standing at the pulpit. Her gaze did not come back his way. Sighing, he figured he had no better alternative and began to listen. For the first time in several months, he actually heard the message.

Hark the Herald Angel Sing

In the mass of people fling out of the church, he wasn’t able to get close enough to chat with Marissa. He’d almost made it to her when an old man with strangely bright eyes blocked his path and started talking. He tried to politely answer the man’s questions while slipping past. But the old guy would not stop talking. “You can call me Gabe. Now what’s your name?” The young man mumbled under his breath, hoping to end the interaction, but Gabe started going on and on about what Christmas was like years ago. The young man finally gave up as he saw Marissa leave with her parents. He could almost feel steam rolling oﬀ himself as he waited for his family to stop visiting so they could leave. Audrey practically bounced on the car ride home. Why does she have to be so annoying? he thought. She’s so excited for Christmas. Life was easier when I was her age; it was easy to believe back then. Now, my friends don’t believe, and they tease me about going to church. What are they going to say if I don’t show up for the party? Argh. Audrey won’t…stop… singing!

Away in a Manger

“Would you be quiet?!” he snapped at his sister. When he saw the hurt look on her face he felt like he’d just kicked a puppy. “That’s enough, young man,” his mother turned in her seat. “You be nice to your sister! In fact, I’ve had enough of your attitude tonight.” “I’ve had enough too,” he answered, and immediately knew it was a mistake. His sister gasped. His parents didn’t respond. An uneasy silence fell over the car. As soon as they got home, he raced into his room to change his clothes. Without a word he grabbed his coat to leave. “Where are you going?” his father asked. “To Hayden’s party. I told you guys about it.” “Yeah, about that. Your mother and I talked this over and we think you need to stay home tonight.” “What!?! Why?” “Well, your grandparents are coming over, for one. Secondly, you snapped at your sister and your mother, and lastly because it’s Christmas Eve. This has always been family time. This is time for us to reﬂect on God’s gift.” He could not stop himself. He was angry and talking without thinking. “Tis is so unfair!” he shouted. “I don’t know if I even believe that stuﬀ anymore! I want to go to the party! I went to your church with you guys; why can’t I spend time with my friends?” He threw his coat onto the ﬂoor and stomped back to his room. His mother’s voice followed him down the hall, “You can just stay there, young man, ‘til you cool oﬀ!” At first, he thought, You bet I will. I’ll stay in here all night. Maybe even all day tomorrow. That’ll show ‘em. But then as he watched the snow fall out his window a new thought struck him. What if Marissa’s parents let her go to the party? He looked at the latch on the window. “Mom and dad will be so mad,” he said out loud. Then, to himself he reasoned, But it’s their fault! They’re the ones being unreasonable. He watched as his hands seemed to take on a life of their own, unlatching and opening the window. The blast of cold night air brought him to his senses. He hesitated, thinking of potential consequences, but with a determined shake of his head, he threw on a sweatshirt and swung his legs over the ledge and slid oﬀ onto the ground below, his boots landing with a crunch in the snow. A pair of unseen eyes watched him creep away from the house and disappear into the night.

Silent Night

The young man was making his way across town when he walked past a girl in a pay phone booth. He kept walking, trying to ignore her. He was late enough already. But he slowed, and eventually stopped and looked back down the street. With a growl of frustration, he kicked a nearby bus bench. Ten he jumped as a person whom he had not noticed before sat up on the bench. The figure looked like a pile of clothes but then it began talking. “‘Bout time you got here,” it said. The young man blinked. “What? Huh? Um, you were expecting me?” “Of course I was. Now —what did you do with your bus?” the pile of clothes—or rather, the old man who was bundled against the cold—asked, looking right and left. “Bus? I’m not the bus driver.” He blinked again. The man on the bench seemed familiar.

“Well, what are you doing out tonight if you’re not the bus driver?” he asked. “Hey, aren’t you the guy from church?” the young man asked, squinting at the man. “Gabe, right?” Distracted, he glanced back over his shoulder toward the phone booth and the girl inside. “Whatcha lookin’ at?” Gabe asked. “Nothing. Sorry for disturbing you. You’d better get inside. Aren’t you cold?” With one last glance back at the girl, the young man began to take a step in the other direction. “She must be lost,” Gabe said. The young man stopped mid-stride. “What makes you think she’s lost?” “That pay phone doesn’t work. And who spends Christmas Eve in a pay phone booth?” The young man nodded and looked around for someone else who could help. He saw a sign glowing down the street and thought maybe he’d find someone in there. He made his way to the sign, opened the door, and walked inside not realizing he had just entered an old city bar.

Old City Bar

He wanted to stay and see what happened when the bartender spoke to the girl, but the old man, Gabe, grabbed his arm and pulled him away so quickly he could barely keep up. He was shocked at how fast the old man moved down the street. “Well, thanks for yer help, m’boy,” the old man said, walking away. “You’re welcome. Hey! Where are you going?” “Got things to do— and aren’t you meeting up with yer friends?” “Oh yeah.” He’d almost forgotten. With a wink the old man turned and walked away. His voice drifted back on the cold night air. “May you find what yer lookin’ for…” The young man watched Gabe walk down the road until the falling snow hid him from sight. He then realized he was only a couple of blocks from Hayden’s house, but his feet moved slower, less excited now. As he turned down another block, he heard a familiar tune ﬂoating on the wind. He stopped as a group of carolers sang at an open door. As he listened, he began to wonder, “When did I tell Gabe I was going to meet my friends?”

Do You Hear What I Hear?

As the song ended the young man continued on his way. But again, his feet moved slowly. He paused, looking down South Station Street, which would lead him home. But before he could take another step something hit him in the face, blinding him, and before he could raise his hands, something tackled him to the ground! Fear gripped his stomach until he felt the cold snow on his face. He wiped away the snowball as laughter erupted around him. Opening his eyes, he saw Hayden leaning over him, grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous being out after dark?” Hayden said with a laugh. The young man pushed him away but smiled as he sat up. His friends were falling over themselves with laughter. Excited voices filled the air. “What took you so long?” “‘Bout time you got here.” “What are you guys doing?” he asked. “We got bored back at home,” Hayden explained with a shrug. “So we thought we would walk around and see what fun we could have out here.” Soon the young man found himself running with his friends through town. They threw snowballs at each other and at mailboxes. They were laughing and having fun until they came to a house beautifully lit with Christmas lights, when all the boys stopped to take in the sight. The young man found himself walking in front of the nativity scene in the front yard. He looked at the glowing figures of Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men, and finally his eyes focused on the baby Jesus, shining brighter than all the others. “Ohhh! Great idea!” Hayden said, slugging him in the arm. “What are you talking about?” “Let’s take it,” Hayden said, and his eyes lit up. “What?!?” He started to protest but Hayden reached down and jerked the baby Jesus from the manger. The light blinked out, and everyone laughed as they threw the figurine back and forth. “Guys, I don’t know about this,” the young man started to say, but he was interrupted. “SCATTER!” One of his friends shouted as the porch light ﬂashed on. The boys ran in diﬀerent directions. The young man and Hayden raced down one road, then another street, and then down an alley. Hayden skidded to a stop as they burst from the alley, a pair of headlights suddenly blinding them. The young man tried to stop his forward momentum, but in trying to avoid Hayden, he did not see the ice patch. He slipped, wrenching his ankle and collapsing onto the snowy pavement. “I think it’s the cops, man!” Hayden frantically grabbed at him. “Come on!!!” “I can’t!” The young man grabbed at his ankle. Both boys turned and saw a figure getting out of the car. “Sorry, dude. I can’t get in trouble again. Good luck.” Hayden said as he dropped the baby Jesus. The young man’s mouth hung open as he watched Hayden run back down the alley. His eyes ﬂashed from his injured ankle, to the baby Jesus, and then to the car lights. Squinting and covering his eyes he could see a figure making his way toward him. The headlights made the figure nothing more than an advancing shadow until it stood right next to him, and he could not bring himself to look up at the officer. He clutched his ankle and stared at the baby Jesus figure. Tears welled in his eyes. How did I get here? He thought. I didn’t want this. I just wanted to have fun. A voice broke into his thoughts. “Did you find what you were looking for?” The young man froze. That voice! He looked up and saw a hand reaching out to help him up. He recognized the hand. His father’s hand. His father’s voice. Standing to his feet he leaned on his dad. Steadying himself, he finally looked into his father’s face. He expected to see anger or disappointment, but his dad’s eyes were warm, his face full of concern and love. They rode silently in the car together, baby Jesus between them. “How’d you find me?” The young man finally asked. “I saw you leave the house.” “What?” he looked at his dad, surprise etched in every line of his face. “But—why didn’t you stop me?” “Well, I knew you needed to do this.” His father’s voice was gentle. “You’re getting old enough now that your mom and I can’t make all your decisions for you. I just prayed that you would find what you were looking for. But I am your dad, so I thought I better follow you. At a respectable distance, of course.” The car slid to a stop. Their footsteps crunched in the snow as they made their way to the nativity. The young man placed the baby Jesus back in the manger and plugged the light in. He smiled as Jesus glowed once again. As they drove home together in the dark, the young man told his dad everything that had happened with his friends. Ten he found himself telling his dad how hard it had been to believe in God lately. “Christmas just isn’t the same as when I was younger,” he explained. His dad listened quietly. He told his dad about the old man, Gabe, the bar, and the lost girl in the phone booth. Finally, his dad spoke. “Bus stop? He was waiting for a bus?” “Yeah, I guess so. Tat’s what he said.” His dad grinned. “Mm.” “What is it?” “Well, son, everyone knows buses don’t run in town on Christmas Eve.” Silence fell in the car as father and son drove home. The young man stared out the window at the falling snow and smiled.

“Wake up! Wake up, silly! What are you doing still sleeping?!?” Audrey rubbed her eyes. She blinked in disbelief as she watched her big brother bouncing on his knees on her bed. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked. He had not acted like this in a long time. Her brother’s face beamed as he continued laughing. “It’s Christmas morning! Wake up, silly girl!” “Christmas!” she shouted, fully awake now. “Let’s go wake up Mom and Dad!” the young man shouted, popping oﬀ the bed and limping out of the room with Audrey close behind. When did he start liking Christmas again? she thought as she followed him, giggling, to their parents’ room. Mom plugged in the tree, and they watched the lights spring to life as Audrey climbed onto her dad’s lap. “Are you going to read us the Christmas story since we didn’t read it last night?” She was asking her dad, but her eyes fell on her brother, who knew he was the reason the traditional reading of the Christmas story on Christmas Eve had been broken. “Well, I think it is time for someone else to read the story,” Dad said, handling the Bible to his son. “Thanks, Dad,” the young man said, swallowing hard. He began to read the story of Jesus’ birth — a story he had heard so many times before, but this time was diﬀerent. His thoughts wandered to the lost girl in the phone booth. He thought of the ruined nativity from last night. He thought of baby Jesus’ light going out and then shining again when he plugged the bulb back in. Then his thoughts ﬂew back to that special night thousands of years ago. To a real stable—a real manger and a real baby— who is the Light of the World. And as he read about that night of all nights, it all became real. He smiled as he read, because this time, he believed.