“Is it long?” Janice asked. “Sorry, but like I’ve said, not much time to read.”
“Nee, not at all. Mostly retells the New Testament so a child can understand it.”
Lizzie sighed. “So he really cared about the education of his children. How wunderbar.”
The door opened, bringing in a gust of wind. “So sorry I’m late. But Hezekiah and I, well, and Aurora too, we got a Christmas tree.”
Granny noticed that Colleen glowed so bright, soon the room seemed to warm up. “Your oma allows you to have a Christmas tree in her dawdyhaus?”
She shook her head. “No, outside though.” She lifted the large bag she brought in. “We decorated the pine tree we bought with food for the birds, and Hezekiah said the birds will find shelter in the pine tree.” She squealed and spun around. “I love being Amish. Everything’s so…. refreshing, being outside more.”
Suzy laughed. “What’s in the bag then?”
“Oh, bird ornaments.”
“What?” Maryann asked, one eyebrow cocked.
Granny held her breath, praying Mona wouldn’t say anything to spoil things. So far, she’d been unusually quiet.
Colleen whipped off her cape and bonnet and hung them on the peg, and then bent down and pulled a string of cranberries out of the bag. “This is the garland.” She dug again in the bag and lifted up half an orange on a string. “See how it makes a bowl? You can fill it with seeds, but Orioles like oranges, so we left it empty to attract them. But my favorite one to make is the hearts and I made you each one.” She lifted up a birdseed heart and smiled. “Merry Christmas.”
“Sweetie, they’re so cute. How’d you make them?” Marge asked.
“You put Crisco and birdseed together and mold them. It’s super easy, but some seeds fall off, so I’ll leave them in the bag.”
She ran over and sat by Granny. “I am over being upset about not being able to read A Christmas Carol, but I’ll tell you later. Enough about me.”
Granny took Colleen’s hand. “Danki for the gifts.”
Colleen looked around the table. “Did you save some for me?”
“Aw, poor Tiny Tim,” Janice said with a roar. “Don’t give me that pathetic pout. Of course we saved you a few crumbs.”
“Who’s Tiny Tim?” Fannie asked.
“A little boy in A Christmas Carol that doesn’t have enough to eat.”
Granny leaned forward. “So, what happened to him?”
“Well, the man who was a miser changed and he helped the boy. Became like a second father to him.”
Granny felt that usual itch to read something she couldn’t. If she begged Jeb or told him they should read it together, he’d most likely allow it. But seeing Colleen so happy and twirling around in delight for the joy of being Amish, somehow made Granny not want to pursue it. There were rules, that she knew well, but so many possibilities to celebrate Christmas, she didn’t want to squabble with Jeb.
“Is everyone done eating?” Marge asked.
The girls all nodded, except Colleen who was enjoying mincemeat pies.
Marge lifted a glassful of wassail in mid-air. “God bless us everyone.”
Granny, although confused, lifted her glass and the girls followed. “God bless us, everyone.”
~*~
Suzy sat next to Missy in the back pew, still stunned that she’d accepted her offer to come to church. Missy had always gone to church in Punxsutawney when Walter was alive. Did she miss it? Did the congregation miss her or her donations?
The children put on A Christmas Carol play, written a little different by Janice. The “ghost” of Christmas past represented a person with a strong belief in Christ, but life had worn them out, or riches had choked out the good seed. Suzy thought back to the day she finally surrendered to the blessed call, and put Jesus on the throne of her life.
How mean she was to the girls from Campus Crusade for Christ who came around with their Four Spiritual Laws tract. She’d told them to go away, accusing them of being a cult. But when she was on her back, sick with the flu, who showed up at her door? Patty, the one who freaked her out the most, always carrying her black Bible around campus, reading it openly in the cafeteria. But Patty brought her chicken soup, and simply loved her, helping nurse her back to help. Love. It really made a difference.
As the children portrayed Christmas Present, the main character was a prodigal, far from God, and Suzy vowed right then that she’d find Patty on Facebook and thank her, it being decades since She’d been that prodigal. To think that she graduated and left school not knowing what an impact Patty made on her life. Yes, she needed to find her.
Missy sat motionless throughout the play so far. Was she turned off by the message? Well, Jerry felt the Christmas message needed to tell why Christ came into the world, and not give a fluffy message, since the church was packed with “Christmas only” attenders. Would Missy walk out when Jerry got up to speak? Lord, help Missy really hear!
As the play went into the future, a life apart from Christ, Suzy gripped the pew, as heat rose into her cheeks. Suzy could tell Jerry was nervous, speaking to a packed house of two-hundred. Lord, anyone having ears to hear, let them hear!
“Boo! I’m the Ghost of Christmas Future,” Jerry said with a chuckle. He loosened his red tie that he was obviously not used to wearing, his white shirt making his black skin look like ink. “Journey with me down a road, will you? Please open your Bibles to John 3:16. Some of you may have seen a book that simply has 3:16 on it. A wonderful book by Max Lucado. Anyone here a Max Lucado fan like me? I read him all the time. The Amish do, too. Did you know that?”
Suzy winced. Jerry was nervous, hopping off on bunny trails already. Help him, Lord.
“Anyhow, let’s read John 3:16.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
“Now, here’s the thing you have to know. God loves you deeply. Don’t miss that part. God loved the world. But we have a problem. Sin. An ugly word, but it’s really just synonymous with having a shortcoming. And I think we can all agree we have shortcomings? We’re not perfect, like God.” He looked around the congregation. “Well, I know I’m not perfect. I mean, just this morning I was behind an Amish buggy and rage welled up in me. ‘Pull over’ I wanted to yell. Or even honk my horn. And yinz know how much I love the Amish, but man, those buggies go slow and I was in a hurry. Have things to do.”
A nervous laugh escaped Jerry and Janice looked back to Suzy with a finger up. That was her cue to pray for her husband, and Suzy did.
Suzy bowed her head. Lord, he’s hopping again. Help him.
“Anyone else have a problem with road rage?” he asked.
Suzy nudged Missy, who looked over at her with a smile. No, Missy was too afraid to drive, so no road rage.
“So, I have a shortcoming. Road rage. Right there and then, I sinned. Anger, verging on hate for the driver ahead of me, and an Amish person of all things. Well, it grew in me. I had to clamp my mouth shut so I didn’t blurt out something I’d regret. I mean, I wasn’t going to yell anything to the Amish man, but out loud in the car, and yell something God would hear. So, I still sin, miss the mark, so to speak.”
He cleared his throat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. “Well, there’s God up there in heaven, and here we are on the earth, imperfect. How do we talk to a perfect God?”
A silence fell over the church.
Jerry leaned on his podium. “I’ll tell you how. Jesus took our time-out chair.”
Suzy groaned. What? Our time-out chair?
“Ever see that nanny lady on television tell the naughty kids to sit in the time-out chair?”
Some heads nodded, while others just shook their heads.
“Well, we were bad, and Jesus went to the time-out chair for us.” He walked over to the children who sat in the front row. “How relieved would you be if someone took your place at being g
rounded? Say you weren’t allowed to go out for a week, and your friend says, ‘I’ll stay in your room for a week so you can go out and play.’ Would you like that?”
The kids laughed and agreed.
“Okay, good.” He met the eyes of the adults. “Let’s say that chair is the electric chair. You’re on death row and about to be executed for a crime. And up walks Jesus, tells the prison guard to let you go, that he’d take the electric chair for you. What would you say?”
Someone shouted “Amen,” another “Glory!”
Jerry looked up. “I’d say, thank you. I’ll accept your sacrifice. You must love me a lot.” His eyes glistened. “And I told God that many Christmases ago. ‘I accept your sacrifice, and in exchange, I’ll go out of jail a free man.’ I was declared innocent before God, because Jesus took my punishment, not in an electric chair, but at the cross.”
He stepped back to his podium and thumbed through his Bible. “I said I was taking you down a road, but got sidetracked. Let me get back on that road called the Romans Road. You can Google it at home, but I want to get back to this closing scripture; Romans 10:13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In The Message Bible I love so well, it simply says, ‘Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.’” Jerry laughed. “Can’t get any simpler. How do we complicate things? Does anyone want God’s help? If so, come on down to the front of the church and we’ll have someone pray with you.”
Missy got up, and Suzy was sure Jerry had done it again. Preaching a bold message on Christmas, not something warm and cozy, offending someone. To Suzy’s shock, Missy went to the front, and Janice was right there, hugging her.
Suzy wanted to dance up and down the aisle, but this church wasn’t Pentecostal, so she did a happy dance inside. She’d felt the burden of helping Missy, and now the woman was reaching out to others and God. She found herself saying, Praise be, under her breath, and then laughed, realizing she’d picked up that saying off the Amish.
~*~
Granny stroked Angel’s short black fur as she heard Jeb’s horse neigh. He’d gone over to pick up Mona to make pies, and with him on the verge of getting a nasty cold, it made her fuss all the more. Stuff and nonsense, as Marilla always said in Anne of Green Gables. Mona was in her forties and could surely drive herself over to their place.
Granny was going to hide the dogs in her bedroom, afraid Mona would again criticize her for having dogs in the house, but not today. She was feeling rather bold, ready to tackle Mona head-on. Like Jeb said, if she made a critical comment, she’d ask why and dig into the woman’s heart to see what was ailing her. If she has a heart, Granny moaned internally, but quickly caught herself and asked the Lord to forgive her of having great disliking for Mona. Not hate, just a mighty big disliking. She thought of Fannie, and how she’d suffered having a mamm like Mona, but again, she dismissed the image and concentrated on the task at hand. Baking pies for the homeless women at Forget-Me-Not.
When Mona appeared in the doorway, she was actually smiling at Jeb, not down in the mouth as usual. Praise be. Maybe she’s in a goot mood. “Jeb, hurry on up and close that door. It’s like an icebox in here.”
Jeb flipped off his black wool hat and hung it on the peg, then collected Mona’s cape and bonnet. “It’s actually not too cold out there. No ice at all. Don’t know why the boys can’t come home for Christmas.”
“Well, it’s an expense, hiring a driver from Ohio and all.” Granny put on a smile. “Hello, Mona. Ready to bake?”
“As ready as I’ll ever been.”
“Is something wrong?” Granny probed, remembering Jeb’s advice. Dig deeper.
“Nee, I just can’t bake all that well, is all. Don’t have a knack for it.”
Granny peered over at Jeb. “Pies. Best way to a man’s heart. So, I’ll help you.”
Mona looked down, her cheeks pink. “Well, don’t know about that.”
Probe deeper. “Now why would you say that?”
“Because Freeman’s on a diet and avoids pastries.”
Granny turned to put water on and glared out the window to see the many birds at her birdfeeders. Finches did get along, like Ruth observed, but blue jays and cardinals fought. She groaned inwardly. She was a cardinal and Mona was a blue jay. Would they ever be able to sit at the same feeder in peace?
Remembering what the Bible had to say about hospitality, she turned with a smile. “Mona, I got some new tea. Ginger coconut, a gift from Marge. Want to try it?”
“Never heard of coconut tea before….”
“Well, Marge goes to a specialty tea shop in Monroeville Mall, when she gets her hair cut.”
“She goes how many miles to get her hair cut?”
“Ach, maybe forty,” Granny said, “But that’s her business, jah?”
“Well, I don’t travel much, as you know.”
Granny felt her heart jump but she needed to open up this turtle of a woman. But why didn’t Jeb stay? He’d gone off into the living room. “Mona, I go up to Punsxy-Mart often. Even thinking of getting a driver to take me to Cherry Creek, New York and see Susanna Yoder, my dear pen pal. Why not travel more?”
Mona looked down, and just mumbled, “It’s expensive.”
“Ach, you can come with me. I have a driver who’s cheap. She goes out to eat, though, and we all pitch in to pay for the meal.” Granny bit her lower lip. “Want to go shopping with me sometime?”
Mona sighed loudly. “Deborah, I know you think you need to help those girls at Forget-Me-Not, asking them to come over and make pies, but I don’t need help.”
“What?”
“You like to help people, but I’m fine, really. I like to stay at home.”
Granny clenched her fists. “Fannie comes over to make pies, do you know that? And other women do, too.”
“Ach, and I’m sure Fannie has stories to tell you that make you pity her…”
Granny closed her eyes. Lord, help! “Well, actually, Fannie doesn’t wallow in any pity anymore since she reconditioned her mind.”
“Her mind?”
“Well, jah. She thought she was fat, ugly and stupid, but she memorized scriptures that made her see what God thought of her. Then Melvin, as you know, made her a compliment box and his love healed a heart from –”
“Ach, Deborah, from what? Life is hard and Fannie needs to toughen up. I do, too.”
Granny’s eyes grew round. “Toughen up? Why would you do that for? I mean, aren’t we to be tender-hearted, not tough?”
“You know what I mean. Take life’s blows. I did, after…”
“After what?”
“After having a tough life, is all.” Angel went over to Mona and sat her face down on her foot.
“Aw, will you look at that. That dog knows English, I declare. You just said you had a tough life, and here’s Angel lending you strength.
Mona shooed Angel away. “Ach, Deborah. That’s ridiculous.”
Jeb came around the corner, coffee cup in hand. “Need more of this and black. I’m tired.”
“Why not take Angel with you,” Granny said as pleasantly as possible, feeling a tension headache coming on.
“Now look at that. She likes you, Mona.”
Mona smiled at Jeb. “Your wife seems to think she can understand English.”
“Come here, Angel,” Jeb called, and Angel went to him. “Jah, she does. Want to see her beg for a treat?”
“Jeb we have pies to make. Mona, come on over and we’ll start.”
Jeb put a finger up. “Angel, dance.”
Angel got up on her hind feet and tip toed around in a circle. “Goot dog. “ Jeb scooped her up. “Here, Mona, hold her.”
Before Mona could say no, Jeb had placed the little black dog in her arms. Granny noticed that the deep etches in Mona’s forehead softened, and her shoulders relaxed. “She likes you,” Granny forced herself to say.
Mona was silent, but held the dog, even stroked her back.
Jeb stood behind Mona an
d motioned for Granny to meet him in the living room. “Ach, Jeb, want to go over the mail real quick-like?”
“Jah, I suppose.”
Granny excused herself and went into the next room with Jeb, who had a mischievous grin.
He whispered in her ear, “Remember when I said I was shy and my dogs pried me open? I think it’ll work for Mona.”
“What?”
“Let’s give her Angel for a spell. She could help Mona, and if Mona’s helped, she’ll be less of a burden for you to carry.”
Granny looked down. If love was a sacrifice, she’d be doing that for sure and certain. She’d become attached to the little dog. “You think so?”
“I know so,” Jeb said.
“Only for a week or two. I’d miss Angel.”
“I think Mona needs a long-term dog and…”
Granny held her middle. Thy will be done, Lord. “Most likely she won’t want her anyhow.”
Jeb winked at her and almost ran into the other room. Granny heard Jeb chat with Mona about keeping the dog for a while, for good company, and to Granny’s shock, Mona agreed. What on earth! She’d criticized her for having a dog in the house, and now she was going to be doing the same. Granny sat in her chair, and Bea ran out of their bedroom, hopped on Granny’s lap. Granny nuzzled her nose in Bea’s long black fur. “You’re staying here, not matter what,” Granny whispered. “And I’ll take you to visit Angel real regular-like.” Her heart sank. “And that means me going over to Mona’s… Lord have mercy.”
~*~
When Mona finally left, Granny heard her knitting needles yelling to her to come get them and sit and knit. Upset with Jeb over being put on the spot concerning Angel, the dog he wanted in the first place, she got attached to in a few short weeks, and now was off to stay at Mona’s? She was no spring chicken anymore, and with age, change came harder…for her. Nee, not for Jebediah Weaver!
She looked down at the beautiful shades of blues Suzy had dyed the yarn. Life was full of shades, some bright, some dull, some dark. All the pent up emotions she’s been harboring since yesterday rose to the surface as she knit one, purled one. Knowing a headache was coming on if she didn’t bow her head in prayer, Granny set her needles in her lap.
Smicksburg Tales 1,2 & 3 (Amish Knitting Circle, Amish Friends Knitting Circle & Amish Knit Lit Cirlce ~ Complete Series: 888 pages for Granny Weaver Lovers and 30+ Amish Recipes Page 70
