A Christmas Story
“Who is that little guy over there?” That was the Archangel Rafael asking Michael about a young boy they saw staring into a store window. Inside the window was a beautiful Christmas display.
“That rapscallion! Don’t you recognize him?” Michael replied. “That’s Elmo.” He said the name with mixture of frustration and reverence.
Rafael gave Michael a funny look that said, “I should know him – why?”
Michael went on to explain.
The boy’s story had started many years ago back in Bethlehem. The little town was really busy that year. There were visitors from all over coming back to their hometown in order to be counted with their relatives. The streets and inns were full. There was no place to stop and eat. It was just super busy!
There was a young family, Joseph and Mary, among all the visitors that year. Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem, so they traveled there from the town they lived in, Nazareth. Mary was going to have a baby, and because everything was so full, the only place for them to rest was in a stable with all the animals.
Michael asked, “Remember all that?”
Rafael answered, “Sure! That’s when Baby Jesus was born! But why should I remember that that kid?”
Michael went on.
When Jesus was born, there were Seraphim and Cherubim filling the sky, singing! There were people coming from all over. Shepherds from the fields. All kinds of folks. There was a bright star in the sky. It was quite a spectacle!
Michael continued. The Heavenly Father, The Big Guy, sent some regular angels, guardian angels, too. They were there to help Mary and Joseph with the Little One, to make sure that they had food and water. That they were warm and comfortable. And that, Michael explained, was why Elmo was in Bethlehem.
“His name means ‘protector’, you know,” Michael added.
As Elmo was doing his job, keeping Baby Jesus warm and comfortable, he noticed the straw in the manger when The Baby was trying to sleep.
“I bet that’s prickly,” he thought to himself. “I have an idea!”
That’s when Elmo took off his soft, puffy, fluffy wings and tucked them under The Baby. They fit perfectly. They looked comfy. Baby smiled – and fell asleep.
Elmo did, too.
But that’s about when more people came. More angels soared around overhead and sang. That’s when donkeys, and sheep, farmers and more shepherds came.
Then, there was that big, bright star, and then the Three Wise Men arrived on their camels. It got pretty crazy around the stable.
Before too long, things settled down a bit. Mary, Joseph, and The Baby did what they had to do in Bethlehem and planned to go back to Nazareth. That’s when another Archangel, Gabriel, he thought, swooped down and told Joseph to take the family to Egypt. Egypt! Phew, they weren’t prepared for that! But they went.
And that is why, with all the goings-on, Elmo forgot to get his wings back! There he was. Trying to do his job of guarding The Baby. No wings. No way to get home.
“He’s been kind of a nuisance ever since. In a good way, but a nuisance just the same,” Michael said to Rafael. “He has basically bugged every Choir of Angels for help. Some Guardian Angel!”
“Oh, I see,” replied Rafael. “Um…so what’s been going on?”
Michael continued his story.
Elmo ended up with the caravan headed to Egypt with Joseph and Mary. All the while, he searched for his wings. I got him into trouble at times because people thought he was snooping, maybe even trying to steal something. Also, he was not able to do all his usual guardian angel things, and that made him mad. But he was able to be around and help with The Baby. That made him feel better.
As time went on, he traveled back to Nazareth. Jesus and Elmo grew up together. It was hard on Elmo because he knew that he should be able to do more. He kept an eye out for a pair of wings, too, but they just never turned up.
More time passed.
Michael reminded Rafael, “Remember all those times when we tried to find things for him to do? He was still an angel, but he was stuck on Earth as a kid!”
Years passed. One day many years later, one of the other Archangels had an idea. That other Archangel had been watching an old priest taking care of young children around Jesus’ birthday every year. The old priest’s name was Father Nicholas. He loved kids and wanted to be sure they had food and other gifts at Christmas. The angel suggested that might be a good way for Elmo to have a more permanent home and a “real job” to do. Everyone agreed that was a great idea, so Elmo was sent to Nicholas’s hometown to help.
Elmo loved it! He had a home. He had a good boss and a fun job. He had friends to play with – and get into mischief with. “If only I had my wings,” he thought.
As the years passed, Father Nicholas’s fame grew. He became famous all over the world and became known as Father Christmas. Elmo loved it when Christmas time got closer. He heard people singing wonderful songs, and he remembered the choirs of angels that night so long ago. He was sad that he had no wings, but he smiled when he remembered Baby Jesus softly sleeping on them.
Eventually, it came Father Nicholas’ time to move on. He told Elmo that he was going to go somewhere where he, Nicholas, could help care for more children. And he told Elmo that he wanted him to go along as well. (Truth be told, the idea had come from a few of the Archangels, but Nicholas agreed!)
You know what happened next! The North Pole. A workshop. Elves. Reindeer. All that. Pere Noel. Eventually, St. Nick and …. Santa.
“Wait!” said Rafael. “That’s an awful big leap from a little town to Santa! How about some details?”
Michael took a deep breath. “Well, let’s just say that it all took a while. A long while. But for starters….”
For starters, there were those elves. Nick had gathered up many, many children who had been lost, forgotten, abandoned, or left behind, and saved and protected them. They became his children, his helpers – his elves. And every year, there were more. He gave the job of planning and organizing their activities to Elmo. Boy, what a job that was! But, being a guardian angel, Elmo also did have some special skills. He was busy, but he loved it.
The reindeer were another story. They were not easy to work with! And Nicholas had somehow given them some special skills – like flying! To tell the truth, that almost made Elmo mad! If he had had his wings, he could fly, too. But no…. Only the reindeer.
(If you ever wondered how Rudolf’s nose became so bright red, it was one of Elmo’s pranks. It backfired on him!)
Even though he loved his life, Elmo was still sad about his lost wings. “What happened to then?” he wondered. “Where could they have gone?” If he had his wings, he could get back to being a regular angel again.
Rafael looked sad, now. He thought of Elmo – not fully an angel, not really a boy.
He stopped Michael again. “After all this time, after all that has happened, after all the good work he’s done, isn’t there something we could do to help him get his wings back? Anything”?
It was Christmas Eve. There were decorations, bright lights, and happy smiling faces. There was music everywhere.
The two Archangels were silent.
They stood there watching the little boy gazing at the Christmas display in the store window. Inside the store, they could see Santa Claus listening to the children sitting on his knee. It was getting late.
In a split second, the two Archangels looked at one another and burst out laughing. “Yes!” they said at the same time. “YES!”
The two Archangels fluttered close to Elmo. He looked around as if to ask, “What was that noise?”
The Archangels appeared as reflections in the store window. Elmo saw them. He recognized them.
“Why are you out here looking in?” Rafael softly asked.
“Yes, why don’t you go inside?” added Michael.
“I can’t,” said Elmo. “It’s my job…to take care of Papa Nick – and the kids – and Christmas.”
“We know,” Michael told him. “You have done a great job for a long time now.”
“Maybe it’s finally your turn. Why don’t you go ask “Santa” for what you want this year,” added Rafael. “After all this time, go ahead!”
Elmo looked quizzical. The Archangels nodded. Elmo smiled. He walked into the store.
The angels watched as Elmo climbed up onto Santa’s lap.
This time Santa nodded.
Elmo went home. Later, as it was Christmas Eve, Santa loaded his sleigh, and the darn reindeer pulled him on his way.
On Christmas morning, almost everybody slept in. Elmo didn’t. He woke up feeling refreshed! Happy! He got out of bed and stretched. And that’s when he realized that he wasn’t just stretching his arms, he was stretching his wings, too. His wings!
For the first time in centuries, he flew! He flew around his room. He flew out the door. He flew around the workshop! He flew high. Low. Around and around. Pure joy!
That’s when he heard the music again. All the choirs of angels were singing. For him! With him!
For Christmas!
Michael and Rafael stood in a corner of the workshop. They, too, smiled.
“Welcome back!” they said, joyously. “And Elmo…
“ Merry Christmas”
