CHRISTMAS EVE

Peter took the Christmas cookies out of the oven while humming a few notes to Deck The Halls.

Christmas was all around his favorite time of year. There were the lights, decorations, tree, and most of all the music.

"But was there more to Christmas?" Peter thought. "What if we didn't have all those things like some people. Could we still have Christmas?"

He looked up from the cookies he was spreading out to cool, and saw the guys headed his way. "Here come the guys. I'll ask them."

"Well, Big Peter, those sure look good." Micky said, straddling a chair and picking up one of the cookies.

"Hey! I haven't frosted them yet!" Peter said.

"Do you think that matters to Micky?" Davy grinned.

Peter just shrugged and decided to ask his question. "Guys! I was wondering something."

"What is that, shotgun?" Mike asked, grabbing one of the cookies for himself.

"What exactly is Christmas?"

The other three looked at each other a little perplexed. Why did Peter always come up with these kind of questions?

"Well, Peter. Christmas is...having the biggest tree." Mike grinned as he thought of their huge tree sitting in the living room, smothered in decorations.

"No it's not, man!" Davy waved him off. "Christmas is...the biggest and brightest lights." He began thinking of their decorations outside. Some people seemed to think he went a little overboard, but to him, it was just perfect.

"You're both wrong." Micky said. "I'm working on a machine that'll make this Christmas the biggest and best Christmas ever."

Now they all shot him confused glares.

"Micky, how can a machine make Christmas?" Mike asked.

"Well, you see, it's like this." Micky, unable to contain his excitement, started pacing the room as he explained. "This machine will fill a room with a gentle mist that will bring Christmas cheer and love to all."

"Does it also let you see pretty colors and start climbing up walls?" Mike laughed.

"Ha, ha! You laugh now!" Micky got a maniac expression to his face. "But wait! You'll see. You'll all see!" he said as he disappeared into his laboratory.

"Yeah, well good luck to him." Mike laughed. "I'm gonna put more decorations on the tree."

"But Mike," Davy protested. "It's already covered in decorations. I don't think you can fit anymore on there."

"Nonsense, Davy. That tree is the biggest in all of Malibu. Probably in all of California. It'll fit more decorations." he said as he disappeared into the living room.

"OK, Mike." Davy shrugged, then headed for the back door. "I'm going to put more lights up outside. See you around."

"But Davy, wait!" Peter stopped him. He needed for someone to answer his question. "Davy, if we didn't have the lights, or the tree, or Micky's Christmas making machine, then what?"

Davy thought about it for a bit then looked sadly at Peter. "Then it wouldn't be Christmas." he shrugged and walked out the door.

"Wouldn't be Christmas?" Peter thought. "That can't be true. There has to be more to Christmas than that."

"The last cookie." Peter thought as he wiped his brow.

He had been frosting cookies all day without the help of the guys, who were busy with their own Christmas projects. Now he was on the last Christmas Tree cookie.

He spread the green frosting over it and put the multi-colored sprinkles all on it.

"There! We'll save that one for Mike." he grinned.

Just then, he heard a bunch of clattering coming out of the basement, which was doubling for Micky laboratory.

"It's finished!" Micky breathed, carrying the huge machine and placing it under the tree. "It's finally finished! All these years of work...done!"

"Micky, you're not putting that thing under my tree, are you?" Mike asked.

"It's the perfect place for it. It'll be out of everyone's way and what better place for the gentle Christmas mist to come out?" he smiled. "Now...where's Davy?"

"Outside, playing with the lights." Mike answered.

"Well go get him. I want him to experience the Christmas joy also." he said.

"I'll get him." Peter said, disappearing outside for a few minutes. He finally came back in, dragging Davy by the collar.

"I don't want to see it!" Davy was protesting, but it all fell on deaf ears. "Remember last Halloween when he made the spook-master machine? It nearly blew the house apart."

"Come on, Davy!" Peter said. "It won't hurt to just sit here for a few minutes and see if it actually works."

"OK, fine!" Davy said, plopping down on the couch and crossing his arms. "But it had better be good."

"Don't worry! I promise none of you will be disappointed." Micky said, and flipped the switch on the machine.

A gentle mist did come out of the machine, filling the room with a pine scent.

"Mm...smells nice." Mike commented.

"I think I'm actually starting to loosen up and feel that...Christmas joy." Davy grinned.

Micky beamed as it seemed his machine was working.

Peter started humming "Jingle Bells Rock" to himself, and soon Davy picked up on it.

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Rock..." they both sang.

Mike and Micky joined in.

"...That's The Jingle Bell Rock." they all sang.

They all went into the next verse, not noticing the strange sounds coming from Micky's machine or the sparks starting to fly.

"Hey! You guys smell something?" Micky asked.

"Smells like someone's burning firewood." Peter said.

"My TREE!" Mike suddenly jumped up and rushed over behind Micky.

They all looked to see what the problem was, then noticed the orange glow starting at the bottom of the tree and quickly working it's way up.

"Mike, get away from the tree!" Davy yelled.

"No, we gotta save it." he yelled back.

Peter grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed the tree until the flames were out. Unfortunately, he didn't make it in time to save the poor tree, which was now a charcoal black. What needles were left, were brown.

"My...tree." Mike mourned.

"Awe, Mike! I'm so sorry, man!" Micky apologized.

He went to unplug the machine, but had to wrestle with the cord to get it out. As soon as he pulled it loose, the lights flickered, and there was a tremendous amount of popping coming from the outside.

"Oh no!" Davy said as he ran outside to check the lights.

"Oh no!" he repeated, and came stomping back in.

"The lights! They're all busted!" he groaned.

"Oh man, Davy! I'm sorry." Micky said.

"And look at my Christmas machine. It's dead." Micky whined.

"Hey, guys?" Peter looked at all of them. "Does this mean we won't have Christmas this year?"

"Afraid so, Big Peter. We all know who we can thank for that!" Mike said, and they all turned to Micky.

"Guys, really, I'm sorry!" he said. "We can still have a Christmas though."

"With what?" We have no more lights." Davy said.

"And no tree!" Mike added.

"I'm really sorry, guys." Micky said sadly as he carried his machine back to the lab.

"Well, come on. Might as well clean up this mess." Mike said.

"Yeah, come on, Pete. Peter?" Davy looked around, but he was no where to be seen.

"Let him be." Mike said. "He's probably just as disappointed as the rest of us."

Peter walked down the street in a somber mood. "That couldn't be all there was to Christmas." he thought. "There has to be more. But what?"

"Hark the Herald angels sing..."

"Where is that coming from?" Peter wondered. He went towards the sound and found a group of carolers.

He listened to the words of the song. It talked about "Peace On Earth." That was certainly something he wanted.

He listened further to the song.

"That's it!"

Davy and Mike sat around, mourning their loss of a good Christmas. Neither one would talk to Micky who was pouting in the corner of the room.

Suddenly, Peter burst through the door with a group of people behind him.

"Guys! I found out what Christmas really means!" Peter shouted. "It's not lights, a tree or a machine."

"Come on, Peter." Davy sighed. "What else is there?"

"Listen!" Peter said, then turned to the carolers. "Go ahead!"

"Hark the Herald angels sing
 Glory to the newborn King
 Peace on earth and mercy mild
 God and sinners reconciled
 Joyful all ye nations rise
 Join the triumph of the skies
 With angelic host proclaim
 Christ is born in Bethlehem
 Hark the Herald angels sing
 Glory to the newborn King"

The carolers finished and Peter looked at the guys expectantly.

"Ok...so...?" Micky asked, not quite understanding what Peter was trying to get at.

'You still don't get it?" Peter asked. He took a small book out of  his pocket and started reading.

" Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to enroll themselves, every one to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of  David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this [is] the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased. And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto them. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them." (Luke 2: 1-20)

"That's what Christmas is all about, guys. When God sent His Son to earth to bridge the gap between Himself and man."

"So then...trees are...bad?" Mike asked.

"And lights?" Davy also asked.

"And Christmas joy making machines?" Micky added.

"No! The trees and lights are nice and fun to play with. But it doesn't take the place of the true meaning of Christmas."

Then he looked to Micky. "And we don't need Christmas joy making machines, because if we have Jesus, we can have that joy all year 'round."

"I guess you're right, Peter." Davy agreed. "I heard that stuff before, but it never made sense until I lost all the other stuff that was important to me."

"Yeah. Same here." Mike admitted. "I'm sorry, Micky. I know it was an accident. I shouldn't have made such a big deal about it."

"Me too, Mick." Davy said.

"That's ok, guys." Micky grinned. "I'm sorry about your tree and lights. I wish there was something that could be done about it."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Peter answered it, but no one was there.

"Hey, guys, look at this!" Peter called to them, and they rushed to the door. There stood a tree and a few boxes of assorted sizes.

"Wow!" they all exclaimed.

Mike grabbed the tree, and there was a note attached to it. "Mike, You have found new life. May god bless and protect you on the journey ahead. - Messenger."

Davy grabbed a box that had his name on it and opened it. Inside was a string of lights. he grabbed the note attached and read it.

"Davy, Don't hide your light, but let it shine for all to see. Keep the faith. - Messenger."

Micky grabbed his box, and inside was a Bible. He read his note.

"Micky, You have blessed others by offering them joy. Now you have found true joy. - Messenger."

Peter grabbed his box. Inside was a silver chain necklace with a cross made out of two nails welded together. He took his note.  "Peter, You now know the Truth and have shared it with your friends. Keep doing this, and you will have many rewards in Heaven. - Messenger."

"So who is this messenger guy and how'd he find out?" Mike asked.

Peter, his face white and eyes wide, said, "In the Bible, the messengers were always the angels."

"So...you mean...?" Micky asked, unable to finish.

"I think so." Peter whispered, then smiled at Micky. "Looks like God answered your prayers."

The End