It was winter time. Christmas was just a few days away and Mama and Daddy were making holiday preparations. There was an air of expectancy and secrecy all around the house along with the smell of cinnamon and spices. Angel was waiting for the family to come together in the living room after dinner for the traditional Christmas Tree Decorating. She could almost taste the hot cocoa Mama would make, and taste the ginger cookies she would set out on the table for everyone to snack on. Daddy was pulling the tree decorations out of the attic and placing the boxes next to the beautiful pine tree in the front window. The excitement and expectation was almost more than she could bear! Daddy put the last box down and Mama pulled the warm, wonderfully smelling cookies out of the oven when the knock at the door came. "OH NO!", Angel thought, "One of daddy's church members who probably had to talk or pray or something!" Well, she would do her own praying and pray God would send them away quickly so Christmas decorating could go on as planned!
She heard Daddy say, "Let me get my coat and boots, and I will come," she saw him leave with Mr. Brownlea and head for the old Ford truck parked by the barn. "Mama," she whined, "where did Daddy go, and what about our Christmas tree?" "Calm down, honey, Daddy had to go, there has been a fire at the Chaney farm." Angel was real sorry about that, but this was important too! Angel was torn between concern for the Chaney boys, Chet and Charlie, and getting her tree decorated. She and Mama went ahead and unpacked the Christmas Angel, the red and green balls, and the handmade ornaments. The red and green paper chains that she and Sister had made days ago, were carefully laid out on the table. Several hours went by and still Daddy did not come home. Mama called the family in to the living room, Grandpa grabbed a handful of ginger cookies on his way to his favorite chair, and Sister came in rubbing her already sleepy eyes with one hand and carrying her little stuffed lamb, Rachel, with the other. The decorating began. There was laughter, and singing, and joking, and lots of looks toward the front door. It was fun, but it was not the same with Daddy missing.
Just as the last ornament was put on the tree, Angel heard the sound of steps on the porch and the door opened and as the cold burst of wind came through the door, so did Daddy! He smelled of smoke and was very dirty and looked very tired. Mama gave him a big hug and a cup of hot coffee and told him to sit down, and tell what had happened. He took a long swig of the hot coffee, reached a blackened hand for the ginger cookies and leaned back in his chair. "The fire started with their tree, we think. The house is not a total loss, but the living room is pretty much gone, and all of their Christmas." He looked right in Mama's eyes when he said that, and Angel saw the tears well up there. "Will they be alright?", Mama asked. "Yes, I think so. We boarded up what we could, and I drove them over to Kate's mothers house." Angel remembered Chet's granny's house, it was a one room house on the other side of town. It would be alright for one old lady but she could couldn't imagine three grownups and two rowdy boys there. She felt bad for Chet and Charley, their granny was a grumpy, mean old lady, even Christmas didn't seem to make her happy. While she had been lost in her own thoughts Daddy had washed up and had pulled out the brown paper bag with the popcorn in it. Mama got the needle and thread out for everyone. The popcorn stringing would go on! Every year the family would string strands of fresh popped corn and wrap them around the Christmas tree. It was so much fun, and the house smelled so wonderful! Sometimes, it took a long time, because as much went in the belly as went on the tree. The metal corn poppers were ready at the fire place, and Daddy filled two of them with corn kernels. He set them both over the fire and began to shake them. "Angel, do you know what is so special about popcorn?", he asked. She shook her head and looked up at him. "This, pan on the right has regular corn in it, and the one on the left has popcorn it it, let's see what happens" After several minutes the pan on the right began to smell burned and Daddy pulled it out of the flames. When he opened the pan, the kernels were still small and hard, but burned up. While the one on the right began to make popping sounds and fill the air with the wonderful sweet aroma of fresh popped corn. The lid on the pan began to lift as the corn expanded and filled the pan to overflowing. The popping sounds started out slow and then got faster and faster and faster.
"Popcorn has a very special drop of water inside each kernel, the heat causes the water to expand and explode turning the kernel inside out. That small hard kernel turns into something sweet and delicious and beautiful. God put that special drop of water into the popcorn. Just like He put the Living Water into His people. When God's people are placed in situations where they are put under pressure and it seems like their situations are to hot to handle, a miracle happens. They seem to explode with love for each other, the hardness in them blossoms into a sweet softness, their hearts grow ten times bigger than they were before. That which seemed to have very little value has become something that brings a sweet aroma to your senses, a salty taste to your tongue, and beauty to your eyes." He began to string the popcorn onto the thread Mama had given him. "The Chaneys are Popcorn People, they will be just fine."
Mama began to put paper chains and strings of popcorn back into the boxes they came out of. all but the very special hand made ornaments went back too. Daddy pulled the truck up close to the porch and we loaded up the tree and the boxes of ornaments, Mama's cookies, and Mama went into her closet and came out with some packages in bright wrapping paper, she made some new tags and placed them in a wicker basket to go into the truck. Grandpa carried Sister up to bed. Mama bent down to Angel and ask if she wanted to go with them. Angel watched her beautiful tree go into the truck with a twinge of regret. She grabbed her coat, ran back to her room to get her new sling shot, Chet would like that, and got in the truck. She was one of the Popcorn People too.
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She heard Daddy say, "Let me get my coat and boots, and I will come," she saw him leave with Mr. Brownlea and head for the old Ford truck parked by the barn. "Mama," she whined, "where did Daddy go, and what about our Christmas tree?" "Calm down, honey, Daddy had to go, there has been a fire at the Chaney farm." Angel was real sorry about that, but this was important too! Angel was torn between concern for the Chaney boys, Chet and Charlie, and getting her tree decorated. She and Mama went ahead and unpacked the Christmas Angel, the red and green balls, and the handmade ornaments. The red and green paper chains that she and Sister had made days ago, were carefully laid out on the table. Several hours went by and still Daddy did not come home. Mama called the family in to the living room, Grandpa grabbed a handful of ginger cookies on his way to his favorite
Just as the last ornament was put on the tree, Angel heard the sound of steps on the porch and the door opened and as the cold burst of wind came through the door, so did Daddy! He smelled of smoke and was very dirty and looked very tired. Mama gave him a big hug and a cup of hot coffee and told him to sit down, and tell what had happened. He took a long swig of the hot coffee, reached a blackened hand for the ginger cookies and leaned back in his chair. "The fire started with their tree, we think. The house is not a total loss, but the living room is pretty much gone, and all of their Christmas." He looked right in Mama's eyes when he said that, and Angel saw the tears well up there. "Will they be alright?", Mama asked. "Yes, I think so. We boarded up what we could, and I drove them over to Kate's mothers house." Angel remembered Chet's granny's house, it was a one room house on the other side of town. It would be alright for one old lady but she could couldn't imagine three grownups and two rowdy boys there. She felt bad for Chet and Charley, their granny was a grumpy, mean old lady, even Christmas didn't seem to make her happy. While she had been lost in her own thoughts Daddy had washed up and had pulled out the brown paper bag with the popcorn in it. Mama got the needle and thread out for everyone. The popcorn stringing would go on! Every year the family would string strands of fresh popped corn and wrap them around the Christmas tree. It was so much fun, and the house smelled so wonderful! Sometimes, it took a long time, because as much went in the belly as went on the tree. The metal corn poppers were ready at the fire place, and Daddy filled two of them with corn kernels. He set them both over the fire and began to shake them. "Angel, do you know what is so special about popcorn?", he asked. She shook her head and looked up at him. "This, pan on the right has regular corn in it, and the one on the left has popcorn it it, let's see what happens" After several minutes the pan on the right began to smell burned and Daddy pulled it out of the flames. When he opened the pan, the kernels were still small and hard, but burned up. While the one on the right began to make popping sounds and fill the air with the wonderful sweet aroma of fresh popped corn. The lid on the pan began to lift as the corn expanded and filled the pan to overflowing. The popping sounds started out slow and then got faster and faster and faster.
"Popcorn has a very special drop of water inside each kernel, the heat causes the water to expand and explode turning the kernel inside out. That small hard kernel turns into something sweet and delicious and beautiful. God put that special drop of water into the popcorn. Just like He put the Living Water into His people. When God's people are placed in situations where they are put under pressure and it seems like their situations are to hot to handle, a miracle happens. They seem to explode with love for each other, the hardness in them blossoms into a sweet softness, their hearts grow ten times bigger than they were before. That which seemed to have very little value has become something that brings a sweet aroma to your senses, a salty taste to your tongue, and beauty to your eyes." He began to string the popcorn onto the thread Mama had given him. "The Chaneys are Popcorn People, they will be just fine."
Mama began to put paper chains and strings of popcorn back into the boxes they came out of. all but the very special hand made ornaments went back too. Daddy pulled the truck up close to the porch and we loaded up the tree and the boxes of ornaments, Mama's cookies, and Mama went into her closet and came out with some packages in bright wrapping paper, she made some new tags and placed them in a wicker basket to go into the truck. Grandpa carried Sister up to bed. Mama bent down to Angel and ask if she wanted to go with them. Angel watched her beautiful tree go into the truck with a twinge of regret. She grabbed her coat, ran back to her room to get her new sling shot, Chet would like that, and got in the truck. She was one of the Popcorn People too.
-OUTSIDE SOURCE-
Family Canteen
Veianet Online Store
Love Crisis
Free to Join To Earn
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