It’s that time of year again, and there’s great excitement in the playground. I listened to some children talking.

‘Who do you think you’ll be?’

‘I bet she picks someone else.’

‘I really hope she chooses me!’

‘It’s nearly in-time. Bagsy I go first.’

‘I don’t even want to be in it.’

The chattering stopped when the whistle blew for the end of play time. Bagsy went in first, followed by lots of hot sweaty boys and girls who had been running round the playground to keep warm.

As the class settled down at their desks, the teacher came in and began to explain what would be happening at the end of term Christmas performance. Some of the girls shuffled in their seats, trying to make themselves as tall as they could, and folding their arms really nicely. Their upturned faces followed their teacher’s every move, so they would definitely be picked instead of someone else.

Bagsy sat with his hands under the desk, fingers crossed. In Reception Class, he’d been a donkey; in Year 1, he was a shepherd. Surely he had now risen to a higher level and would be Joseph this year? How could the teacher not choose him? He was tall, had a good clear voice and could easily learn his lines. It would be crazy if he had any other part in the Infant Nativity play. It had to be him, because next year, he would be in the Juniors and one of the older kids in Year 6 would probably be Joseph.

He started to slide down in his chair, and the teacher’s voice startled him.

‘Jack! ‘You’re day dreaming! You haven’t been listening to anything I’ve said! I thought I could trust you to be Joseph this year, but I’m going to choose Dan instead.’

To make matters worse, Dan sat next to Jack. He was over the moon to play the part of Joseph! He never thought he would be chosen. Jack’s fingers were no longer crossed. He felt them forming into a fist, but decided just to hold his hands together under the desk instead, and as for his feet, it was best that they were crossed. He felt he had let himself down, but now he had made sure there would be no punching or kicking his neighbour, the teacher may have another part for him in the play. He sat up and listened carefully.

Joe sat on the other side of Jack. He had only joined the school at the beginning of Year 2. Joe had not wanted to move and missed his friends from his old school. He was short and freckly with curly ginger hair. The kids at this new place had called him names, and he didn’t have a big brother to stick up for him. It had been hard to make new friends and he was a loner in the playground. As for this Nativity play he didn’t even want to be in it.

‘What do I have to wear to be the Angel Gabriel?’ Melissa asked.

Jack smiled to himself. The girls used to think that Mary was the highest position they could have in the play, but the angel was even higher up!!

The teacher went through all the parts that needed costumes, and the children wrote down what they would wear.  She carefully explained how each child was important. There could only be one Mary and one Joseph, but without the shepherds and their sheep, and the Wise Men and all the people crowding into the Inn, there would be no play.

Jack began to daydream again, and wondered if the Wise Men had arrived in Bethlehem on camels. If he’d been chosen to be a camel, would he have taken the hump over that as well?  He smiled to himself again, and just as well he did, because the teacher was looking in his direction.

‘We are going to need some back stage helpers, and we can’t manage without them. I’m looking for some reliable children who will be listening very carefully to every word in the play, so they know when to change the scenery. Joe suddenly found himself putting his hand up.

‘Yes Joe, what is it?’

‘Miss, could I help change the scenery please? I did it at my old school and it was really fun.’

The teacher, had been worried about Joe all term, because he hadn’t settled in very well to his new school, and didn’t have any friends. She was so delighted that he had found the courage and keenness to offer for this very important role, and she smiled at Joe saying how good it would be to have him as such an experienced Stage hand. He wasn’t quite sure what a Stage hand meant, but suddenly called out:

‘I’m a Stage hand!’ and he turned and waved his ‘Stage hand’ at everyone in the class. All the children cheered and waved back. Jack nudged him and gave him a High 5. Things were moving up a notch or two. Joe was now on the first rung of his new school ladder. He must have thrown a 6 to get started!

The outfits for all the children were discussed, and they carefully wrote down what they would need, so their mums could help them at home. Some things would be provided by the school and the children would take their words home to practice and learn by heart.

Before the children went home that afternoon, the teacher invited them to come and sit on the carpet near her desk.

‘You’ve done very well today, children. Some of you will be very pleased with the part you have in this year’s Nativity play. Some of you may not have got the part you really wanted, but you have accepted that very well. I’m very pleased with everyone who has volunteered to be on stage, or work just as hard back stage. We are all helping hands to make the performance come together. You now have time to practice your lines and then we will have a dress rehearsal before the big day.’

The teacher paused for a moment, then said:

‘Do you know children, there is something we haven’t mentioned yet. Something in the play, that doesn’t need to dress up. It’s something very important, because without it, the shepherds and the Wise Men would never have found Jesus. It’s something we can all be, because it points the way for everyone to find Jesus.

Now there’s something for you to think about on your way home. Let’s see who can be the first to tell me tomorrow morning!’

The bell rang and the children grabbed their bags and lunch boxes and were off home. The teacher collected her papers together and tidied her desk. When she looked up, she saw Jack was still there.

‘I didn’t know you were still here, Jack, why haven’t you gone home?’

‘Miss, I couldn’t wait till tomorrow; it’s the star, isn’t it Miss? I wanted to be Joseph, but I’d rather be a star. Can I be a star, Miss? Everyone wants to be a star, Miss, but there’s only one star in the Christmas story. I knew what you meant because a star’s got points, just like you said, Miss.’

‘Come on, Jack, it’s time you went home, or your mum will wonder where you are. But you’re right about the star. There are lots of stars in the sky, and we can all be a shining star. It’s the brightest ones that stand out and point the way for others to find Jesus.’ Perhaps you would like to be the star in the play? I’ve been wondering how we could do that. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.’

‘Thanks, you can’t get higher than a star, Miss! Wow! I’d never thought of that!’

He ran off into the empty playground and through the school gates towards home. The teacher heard him singing at the top of his voice:

‘Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

Star of wonder, star of light …….’

The teacher hoped that the children in her class would come to love Jesus, as she did, and be wonderful, bright shining stars that would lead Wise Men, women and children to the Saviour.

Wow! Have you ever thought of that? You could be a shining star! 

 

(By Linda Tervet, 23rd November 2014)