Read Online The Christmas Portrait by Phyllis Clark Nichols - Free Book Online
Authors: Phyllis Clark Nichols
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world and go to be with God and all our loved ones who’ve gone before us.”
I bit my lip hard. I didn’t want to cry. I wanted to see Mama, but I was scared to die because I thought it hurt. Mama didn’t seem to hurt; she just slipped away when she died. But with Daddy being an EMT, I knew about car wrecks and bad stuff like that.
So I asked Pastor Simmons, “Does it hurt to die?”
Pastor leaned back in his chair. “Well, Kate, did it hurt when you changed from being a baby to being a little girl?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, you’re getting to be a big girl, and I’m going to be real honest with you.” That’s when he got up out from his desk and came around to my chair. He squatted down in front of me. I didn’t think I was going to like his answer.
“Sometimes people die in accidents. Sometimes they’re sick for a while like your mama, and sometimes they just get old and their bodies wear out like your grandpa’s did. And sometimes people hurt before they die, but when they die, they’re not sick or hurting anymore. And for your mama, because she chose to invite Jesus into her heart, dying was just like walking through a beautiful door into a perfect new place, a place where nobody has to say good-bye ever again. You don’t like to say goodbye, do you?”
I nodded again. That didn’t sound so bad. “But what if I grow up and I get old like Grandpa and just wear out? Mama won’t know me when I get to heaven.”
“Oh, Kate, your mama will know you. The Bible doesn’t tell us all we want to know about heaven, but your mama would know you no matter what because the Bible says so. Would you like to pray now?”
What I really wanted was to talk to Mama, but I told him I had one more question.
He got up and rubbed his knees and leaned against the front of his desk.
“I made this special Christmas present for Mama, but I don’t know where to put it so she’ll get it in heaven. I was kinda hoping you could tell me.”
He smiled. “Your mama has everything she wants in heaven. You don’t need to give her a present. She knows how much you still love her.”
“But my present would make her real happy. She could have it forever ’til I get there. There’s just gotta be a way to get presents to heaven. Do you know what it is?”
He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Kate, I don’t rightly recall anybody ever asking me that question before. Now I’ve read the Bible lots of times, and it doesn’t say one thing about where to leave Christmas presents for delivery to heaven. I’ll have to think about this one, and if you find out before I do, would you please let me know?” He was still rubbing his eyes when somebody knocked on the door.
It was Miss Jan. “Kate, time for practice.”
Pastor said, “You come back to see me anytime, and I’m going to read Charlotte’s Web again because you made it sound so interesting. I enjoyed our little talk.”
We shook hands, and I left with Miss Jan. Chesler was singing “All Is Well” again while I climbed the steps of the choir risers. I wished singing alleluias made everything all right. If they did, I’d sing all the time.
I was thinking about when we would get home that night; it would be Chesler’s turn to take the peppermint candy off the Advent calendar. Seven days ’til Christmas. Not nearly long enough to figure out where to leave Mama’s Christmas present so she would get it.
C HAPTER S IX
J UST LIKE SHE promised, Granny Grace was parked right outside the front door of the church when choir rehearsal was over. We headed back to the farm with her. When Daddy got off work, he would join us for supper.
Granny Grace and Grandpa lived in town when they were young. But when Grandpa sold his business and retired, he wanted to live out in the country and have a garden and chickens and goats and guineas. So they bought a farm and built a log cabin a few miles outside of town. Mama said that log house
I bit my lip hard. I didn’t want to cry. I wanted to see Mama, but I was scared to die because I thought it hurt. Mama didn’t seem to hurt; she just slipped away when she died. But with Daddy being an EMT, I knew about car wrecks and bad stuff like that.
So I asked Pastor Simmons, “Does it hurt to die?”
Pastor leaned back in his chair. “Well, Kate, did it hurt when you changed from being a baby to being a little girl?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, you’re getting to be a big girl, and I’m going to be real honest with you.” That’s when he got up out from his desk and came around to my chair. He squatted down in front of me. I didn’t think I was going to like his answer.
“Sometimes people die in accidents. Sometimes they’re sick for a while like your mama, and sometimes they just get old and their bodies wear out like your grandpa’s did. And sometimes people hurt before they die, but when they die, they’re not sick or hurting anymore. And for your mama, because she chose to invite Jesus into her heart, dying was just like walking through a beautiful door into a perfect new place, a place where nobody has to say good-bye ever again. You don’t like to say goodbye, do you?”
I nodded again. That didn’t sound so bad. “But what if I grow up and I get old like Grandpa and just wear out? Mama won’t know me when I get to heaven.”
“Oh, Kate, your mama will know you. The Bible doesn’t tell us all we want to know about heaven, but your mama would know you no matter what because the Bible says so. Would you like to pray now?”
What I really wanted was to talk to Mama, but I told him I had one more question.
He got up and rubbed his knees and leaned against the front of his desk.
“I made this special Christmas present for Mama, but I don’t know where to put it so she’ll get it in heaven. I was kinda hoping you could tell me.”
He smiled. “Your mama has everything she wants in heaven. You don’t need to give her a present. She knows how much you still love her.”
“But my present would make her real happy. She could have it forever ’til I get there. There’s just gotta be a way to get presents to heaven. Do you know what it is?”
He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Kate, I don’t rightly recall anybody ever asking me that question before. Now I’ve read the Bible lots of times, and it doesn’t say one thing about where to leave Christmas presents for delivery to heaven. I’ll have to think about this one, and if you find out before I do, would you please let me know?” He was still rubbing his eyes when somebody knocked on the door.
It was Miss Jan. “Kate, time for practice.”
Pastor said, “You come back to see me anytime, and I’m going to read Charlotte’s Web again because you made it sound so interesting. I enjoyed our little talk.”
We shook hands, and I left with Miss Jan. Chesler was singing “All Is Well” again while I climbed the steps of the choir risers. I wished singing alleluias made everything all right. If they did, I’d sing all the time.
I was thinking about when we would get home that night; it would be Chesler’s turn to take the peppermint candy off the Advent calendar. Seven days ’til Christmas. Not nearly long enough to figure out where to leave Mama’s Christmas present so she would get it.
C HAPTER S IX
J UST LIKE SHE promised, Granny Grace was parked right outside the front door of the church when choir rehearsal was over. We headed back to the farm with her. When Daddy got off work, he would join us for supper.
Granny Grace and Grandpa lived in town when they were young. But when Grandpa sold his business and retired, he wanted to live out in the country and have a garden and chickens and goats and guineas. So they bought a farm and built a log cabin a few miles outside of town. Mama said that log house
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