This particular Christmas Eve I may have overestimated my capabilities. I had four energetic boys ages seven and younger, and I had agreed to play in the orchestra for the Christmas Eve Service at our church. We had also committed our six-year-old to recite Luke 2:1-20 from memory, which he had learned in his kindergarten class. Added to that, we had invited some families to come over after the service that night. I had been going full throttle all day—cleaning the house, preparing festive snacks, doing last-minute wrapping jobs, shining little black shoes and pressing dress shirts.
Minutes before I needed to load everyone into their car seats and drive to the church for the orchestra call time and microphone check, I heard my three-year-old say, “Mommy, I have a Tic Tac up my nose!” At first I was calm, showing him how to force the air out as if sneezing. Instead of sneezing, he took a big drawl in through his nose.
Oh, I can barely see it now! I began to get nervous as I showed him again the sneezing motion and told him to concentrate and do it with great force. At that point he took an even bigger drawl in and the Tic Tac could no longer be seen. I called one nurse friend and then another. They both told me we would need to make an ER visit to have it removed.
But Derek’s sound check is supposed to be happening now and the orchestra is tuning! Lord, help!
My seven-year-old said, “Mom, how about pepper?” and I darted toward my spice pantry. Holding the pepper under his nose and saying a fervent prayer, we waited. About thirty seconds later, he let out a huge sneeze and the Tic Tac went flying across the room. Thank you, Lord! We immediately darted out the door and rushed to the church where Derek had time to do his microphone check and I had time to get my preschoolers to the nursery and my clarinet tuned just before the service began.
The lights dimmed and thousands of people filed into the pews. As the music began, the stress of the day melted away. When Derek took the stage and quoted the Luke 2 passage in his little “Peanuts”-character-like voice, I realized this day would hold one of the best and worst Christmas memories of my life. The Tic Tac may have threatened to take down the night, but the peace of the coming of the Christ child quieted my heart and spirit. I silently thanked my Father for truly being Immanuel—God with us – and caring about even minor emergencies such as Tic Tac dilemmas.
To see the video of six-year-old Derek reciting Luke 2, click here:
Six-year-old Derek reciting Luke 2
or go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecgVi7zIavs