Becoming Human – A New Christmas Story – Part Five of Five

Some people think their cars are alive because they seem to have wills of their own. I don’t believe that. Cars are metal machines. No will. No brain. Just metal. If they are quirky it is because the world is quirky. But this bubble of ours is a different story entirely. It took off like a bat out of hell. My pal and I thought it was pretty clever of the bubble to ride on those prayers to God, but we wondered how we would find our way to Bethlehem. Bubble, pal, and I left the place of light and are now racing through pitch black skies.

“Do you suppose that planet over there is ours, or is that a moon?” My pal was starting to perk up.

“How should I know?” I snapped, a little nervous about our trajectory and the speed. It soon became evident that we must be headed to earth as the planet was growing larger and larger before our eyes. Suddenly, I felt a jab that I thought would punch my lungs out. OUCH!!!

“Look over there! That star is heading straight here! Oh-my-God I think it is going to crash right into us!”

As I turned my head, I saw a spit of light coming closer and closer and then just as I thought we were going to explode, it scooped up our bubble and we were riding on top of it! The closer we got, the slower we went until the earth was right beneath us, so close that it seemed that we would soon land.  

“Look back there.” I said. “Are those three men following us?”

“I know who they are! Oh this is getting so exciting!” blurted out my bubble pal.

“Getting exciting?” I replied, “Where have you been? We just saw God!”

Sure enough, we were being followed. Even when the sun rose, the three men could see us. This was no ordinary star, I thought. Who can see a star in the daytime; and how can a star point to such a specific place?

The monotony of the trek was broken by a visit to Herod who I overheard grilling those poor naïve men. I was glad to be invisible. Herod was scary.  Finally we started to move again. By nightfall the wise men decided to pitch camp. When we were sure our fellow travelers were sleeping, I gave the bubble a pop and pal and I fell out and materialized. It felt so good to stretch.  

By noontime the next day the men noticed that we were following them for they were not only wise but perceptive! They stopped us to ask where we were going and when we confessed that we too were travelling to see the birth of the newborn king, the short one asked, “We have brought gold, and frankincense and myrrh, what have you for the infant?” 

Pal and I look at each other.

Fortunately, it was then that another wise man announced that the star had stopped over a nearby manger. If a dirty old barn could glow, this one surely did. I think it was because of the hundreds of angels all around and about it who were singing, Joy to the World and Glory Hallelujah. I doubt that the three men could see this, but pal and I could because of where we had just come from. It was breathtaking.

 Just at the moment we arrived, Mary was giving birth. It was clear that Eve’s curse had not fallen upon this lovely young lady, because instead of shrieks and howls, common to natural birth-givers, all we heard were the angels singing quietly. That is until we heard the most enchanting sound of all, the melodious chiming of the Son of God using his vocal cords for the first time. I couldn’t tell from the tone whether He was crying or laughing. But the sound of Him brought all five of us to our knees.

Bravely, I peeked into the manger to see no one there but Joseph holding Mary’s hand and a spry rotund midwife whom history has never mentioned, cutting the cord.

I pulled my face back out to announce to my companions, “God just became human!” Then I went over and hugged my pal and we jumped up and down for joy. This was certainly the merriest Christmas of all because we knew for the first time that God had gotten His wish!

To receive a pdf version of the complete story, Becoming Human - A New Christmas Story, please send your request to life@evangelinehopkins.com and your story will be emailed to you gratis. A Christmas gift from Evangeline.