A Christmas story in sounds...

I didn't write this - the "guest Author" is Susan Durber. I will be using it on Christmas day

A Christmas story

I know a Christmas story that comes in a book with only pictures, and no words, no sounds at all - you have to imagine the words yourself. But this is a Christmas story with no pictures, only sounds. In this story you have to imagine the pictures, and you have to make the sounds.

 

Once there was a spare room in a house in Bethlehem. This was not a spare room like you might have; with a spare bed and a wardrobe where the Christmas decorations are stored. It was the second room in the house, built on the side, where the animals were kept in Winter. In the summer it was empty and silent, but in the darkest, coldest days of the year it was filled with sounds. And one year, one year in particular, one special year, there were many sounds…

 

First, there was the usual sound of the cows…

 

And the usual sound of the donkeys…

 

But then came some guests to say – Auntie Mary and Uncle Joseph…

 

Joseph said hello with the voice of someone used to shouting over the sawing of wood…

 

Mary made the sounds of a woman in early labour…

 

Those were the sounds of the first part of the story… cow, donkey, a loud hello, and a woman in pain….

 

Then, there were other sounds…

 

The sounds of a baby crying…

 

And some shepherds came visiting … whistling for their dogs…

 

And they brought sheep and lambs with them, bleating, baaing…

 

And an angel in the sky singing… Glory to God!

 

Those were sounds of the second part of the story…. a baby, shepherds whistling, sheep bleating and angels singing,….

 

Let’s make all the sounds of the story... can you remember them?

 

And then, and then,…..there was no sound at all but the deepest silence you have ever known….   (long silence)….

 

There are no words…. no songs…. no pictures… to capture the wonder of that night…      God is with us….

  

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