Wart Family Christmas 2021

“Mama?”

Mama Wart smiled as her inquisitive and determined daughter walked over with that look she always got when something just didn’t add up in her little mind and she needed Mama to help her sort it out. “What is it, dear?”

Angelina Wart looked at her Mama and stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground and her chin held high, just to emphasize that she was much more mature this year than in the past. She seemed to be indicating that her “annual Christmas question” was not the question of the little child she used to be, but one that a much more grown-up warthog would ask.

Mama could hardly keep from laughing at loud, but she managed to hold it in. “Goodness, you have grown so much this year! As great as that is, I really don’t like to think of you growing up. I don’t want to lose my little Angelina.”

Angelina blushed and secretly loved being her Mama’s little girl, but she did have a grown-up question to ask, so she kept a serious look on her face, and she chose her words very carefully.

“Mama, today I overheard Grandma Sue talking on the phone.” She quickly added, “I wasn’t trying to listen, honestly, Mama, but she was out here on our patio, and I couldn’t help but hear what she said.”

“I understand, dear girl, what was it that upset you so?”

“She said it really makes her sad when some people sing songs about Jesus at Christmas time, but they live like the devil all the rest of the year. What does that mean, Mama?”

Mama sucked in a deep breath. This was going to be a tough one!

“Well, let’s go sit down and I will try to explain it to you.”

As they sat down, Papa Wart and Angelina’s two older brothers, Hiram and Harold, came over and took a seat as well. They loved hearing Mama Wart tell a story. Papa exchanged a look of concern as he glanced at Mama. He knew this was one story that wouldn’t be easy to condense for their young children to understand.

“Let me see. Where should I begin?” Mama took another deep breath.

Papa exchanged a look with Mama. “You have to start at the beginning, Mama. This story has to start with creation.”

“I know, Papa. Do you think they are ready?”

“I believe they are, Mama, and I trust your story-telling skills completely.”

The children had been turning their heads back and forth from Mama to Papa like they were watching a tennis match. The expressions on their faces ranged from excitement to concern. Now they focused on Mama, anxious to see what all the mystery was about.

Mama began. “Children, do you remember me telling you about how God created the world and everything in it, including Adam and Eve?” The children nodded, eager for Mama to continue.

“And, you remember how Satan, disguised as a snake, convinced them to disobey God by eating the fruit from the tree that God had told them never to eat?” Again, the children nodded and began to squirm restlessly.

“Well, because they disobeyed God, they allowed evil into their lives, and actually into the lives of all people that would come after them, and that caused all men for all time to be separated from God. God could no longer come and walk and talk with men on the earth because God could not be in the presence of evil.”

Angelina’s eyes began to fill with tears, “Oh no, Mama, that is so sad! Was God sad? Were the people sorry?”

Papa moved closer to his little girl, and she snuggled up to him as he wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh yes, my dear, God was very sad, and the people were quite sad as well. They knew they had made a bad choice, but they had no way to fix it. Only God could fix what the people had broken. I am sure that God was crying as He realized there was only one way He could make things right between Himself and the people He had created. It took many years for God to carry out His Plan but let me just say that Jesus coming to earth as a little baby at Christmas was only the beginning of putting God’s plan into action.”

Harold spoke next, “Jesus was God’s plan to make things right between God and people? Is that what you are saying, Mama?” As Mama smiled and nodded her head, he continued. “But, how, Mama? How could a little baby fix anything? I remember when Angelina was a baby and she couldn’t do anything for herself, let alone others!”

“I know it seems strange, but Jesus wasn’t just any little baby, He was God’s Son. And it wasn’t His Birth that saved the world, it was His Death.” Mama stopped and waited for the children to take that in, as she knew it wouldn’t make sense to them.

“What? How? No!” the voices of her children rang out with expressions of shock and unbelief that God would allow such a thing. The thought of an innocent little baby having to die to save the world was more than their little minds could comprehend.

“Okay, okay, calm down everyone.” Mama took a moment to look from one child to another until they had all settled back down and were waiting impatiently for her to continue. “Here is the hard truth, and yes, it is sad, but it is also something to be happy about, because this is how God saved the world and gave everyone a chance to live in Heaven with Him. Jesus was born so that He could die. As Jesus died, His Blood covered all the sin in the lives of all people for all time. So after that, when God looked at people, He was not separated from them because of their sin, but was able to see them with love and compassion and a longing for them to love Him back! It is really a story of love—God’s love for the people He created, and a longing for them to return His love. That was only possible by sending Jesus to be born and take all the sins of all people on Himself as He died and let His blood cover up all those sins.”

Mama could see that her children were very confused by what she had just told them. They turned to Papa as Hiram said what they were all thinking. “Papa, is that really true? Did baby Jesus really have to die to save the world from evil?”

Papa looked down at his little family as they moved in close to him. “Children, has your Mama ever lied to you?” They all shook their heads. “Of course it’s true, my dears. But as Mama is about to tell you, it’s not the birth or the death of Jesus that actually saved the world, was it, Mama?”

Mama smiled as she thought about how much she loved Papa Wart and the way he always had just the right thing to say to their children. All faces were now focused back on Mama with anticipation of what the next part of the story would reveal that would make sense of all this.

“Yes, children, Jesus did die for the world’s people, but guess what? He didn’t stay dead! God raised Jesus from death after three days! He was alive again! That is called a Resurrection and we celebrate the new life of Jesus every Easter. When Jesus was raised back to life, God was able to talk directly to the hearts and minds of people and all the evil in the world could not keep them away from God.”

The children sat in stunned silence. It was clear they were struggling to make sense of what Mama had just said.

Papa spoke next. “I know this is hard to understand, children, and it is for that reason Mama and I have not told you this part of the story before now. We knew it would be difficult for you. It is still difficult for Mama and me to understand, so you know what we do?” The three little warts looked expectantly at their father’s face. “We stop trying to understand it and just accept it as truth because God said it in The Bible. Did you know the Bible is really a long letter that He wrote to the world’s people, telling them everything they need to know about how to live to please Him? We can’t possibly understand it all perfectly, and we can’t possibly live everyday without making mistakes that will disappoint God. But we can always know that whatever mistakes we make have already been covered by the blood of Jesus and if we are truly sorry for disappointing God, He will forgive us because He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.”

Angelina was crying as she began to speak. “Mama, now I understand why Grandma Sue said it was sad that some people sing about Jesus at Christmas and live like the devil the rest of the year.”

“Do tell us, dear Angelina. I would love to hear you answer your own question.” Mama’s own eyes were shining with tears as Angelina stood up tall and took a deep breath.

“Well, God sent Jesus as a baby so that His Blood would cover up all the sins of the world when He died, and that makes it possible for every person to live with God in Heaven when they die. So, it is sad that some people only remember what He did at Christmas and then forget about Him the rest of the year. They should honor Him all year long for the amazing thing He did for them.”

The whole family looked at Angelina in awe and wonder. Papa kissed his little girl on the cheek proudly. “My dear, you have summed it up perfectly. Does anyone have any questions? If not, I think we should end this night with a song.”

“Yes, yes! A song!” The children cried out. The voices of the little Wart family mingled together that night as Papa’s strong baritone voice filled the air. Mama and the children joined in and a song rang out over the stillness of the night.

*Oh my Lord
You sent your son to save us
Oh my Lord
Your very self you gave us
Oh my Lord
That sin may not enslave us
And love may reign once more

Oh my Lord
When in the crib they found him
Oh my Lord
A golden halo crowned him
Oh my Lord
They gathered all around him
To see him and adore

Oh my Lord
They had become to doubt you
Oh my Lord
What did they know about you
Oh my Lord
But they were lost without you
They needed you so bad

Oh my Lord
With the child’s adoration
Oh my lord
There came great jubilation
Oh my Lord
And full of admiration
They realized what they had

Oh my Lord
You sent your son to save us
Oh my Lord
Your very self you gave us
Oh my Lord
That sin may not enslave us
And love may reign once more

*Song: Oh, My Lord, by Boney M