Five Golden Rings

by Sheri Schofield

As I was sorting through my photo collection yesterday, I came across a set of pictures from 2003. I was teaching a junior high class that year, training them to be leaders. As any experienced teacher knows, one begins planning for Christmas during the summer. During the warm, sunny days, I was searching for a way to teach our young people something about leadership during the Nativity season.

A young woman from our church was stationed in Japan with the U. S. Navy, her first overseas assignment, and she was homesick. I came up with a plan which must be started as soon as our class began in the fall: The Twelve Days of Christmas Book for our young friend, based on the song.

In September at our first class meeting, I announced the project to the junior high students, who entered enthusiastically into the project. We involved the entire church in this book, putting groups together for photos.

Pastor, who held a unique position, was presented alone as the Partridge in a Pear Tree on the first page, with leafy branches around his photo. The girl’s parents were Two Turtle Doves. (Doves rubbing beaks together beneath picture.) I and two other moms were Three French Hens, with a picture of the Eifel Tower on our page. (We weren’t chicks anymore!) Four calling birds were girls and moms talking on phones. Five golden rings were the youth pastor and four of our young people holding up fried onion rings. And so it went through the twelve days of the song. In this day of scrapbooking, it was easy to find the decorative stickers to use for each page. Except for the onion rings. We had to cut those out of yellow paper.

Nearly every young person and adult who participated in the scenes throughout the church wrote a note to our service member beneath the picture featuring him or her. It was a way to let our friend know we loved her and had not forgotten her as she served our country.

The gift blessed our young friend greatly. She reciprocated by sending our junior high students a Japanese tea set to use in our class as we studied missions as part of our lessons. We celebrated her by having an Asian meal and tea as we watched Inn of the Sixth Happiness, an inspiring missionary movie about China. (There were none about Japan.)

True friends do not forget those who move away or serve in the military or in missions overseas. Tertullian, an early Christian writer, wrote, “See how these Christians love one another.” He saw demonstrations of love, compassion and support demonstrated by the believers of his day.[1]

We as believers belong to the family of God. We are sisters and brothers to each other. This does not mean we will not occasionally struggle to relate! This does not mean we will not sin. But it does mean we will do all in our power to be at peace with one another, to support one another, and to demonstrate care for our brothers and sisters who are hurting or in need. Even those who are absent. We are a called, chosen people whom God has placed on this earth to demonstrate his love and grace. When we do, our Father in heaven smiles on us.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

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[1] The Socratic Method, Tertullian: ‘See how these Christians love one another.’ socratic-method.com

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Sheri Schofield, award-winning author and Bible teacher, has a new devotional book which will be released soon. Sunflower Love will lift your heart to God and bring encouragement from day to day. Many of the stories are inspired by Sheri’s life high in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, where eagles fly, and wild creatures demonstrate the beauty of God’s interaction with us. Sunflower Love will inspire you to turn your heart toward the Son of God, who loves us and gave himself for us, who brings us hope and peace. Sheri has also developed a blog where she shares short stories, some funny, some serious, for your entertainment. Her blog can be found at www.sherischofield.com.

Join the conversation: What demonstrations of love and support have you seen within your Christian community lately?