The Christmas Prayer Angel.(Kevin Hughes) Gabriel let his anger show. Not a lot, for that would make most Angels cower and draw a significant look from Michael. Nobody wanted to have Michael answer a prayer. Michael tended to take direct action, fine if you want to settle things forever, not so good if you need subtle results over time.

It was Gabriel’s duty to answer Christmas Prayers in a way that was consistent with the guidelines that HE had given them. HE expected you to do your job in the gentlest, kindest, most unremarkable way. HE didn’t want people running around going: “It’s a miracle!” HE wanted people to know that their Prayers were answered- that’s all.

“Get me a Seraphin!”

Two of the lesser Angels sped off in that twinkle of sprinkled light that Humans called: “Quantum Foam.” Angels lived in only one section of Time- Now. And just like that, a Seraphin stood in front of Gabriel.

“Yes, Gabe?” (Angels were often informal among themselves) The crooked smile offered by the Seraphin with its traditional gold sword dangling under one wing could have graced the cover of any Romance Novel and made it a best seller. There is a reason Humans swoon when they see any Angel, let alone the proud beauty of a warrior Angel.

“Thanks for coming Seph. I got this Christmas Prayer request from a Human. But it isn’t really a Christmas Prayer. The Human actually wants revenge, not an answer to a prayer.”

Gabriel handed the prayer to the Seraphin; Human prayers kind of looked like someone combined the vapor of boiling water with cotton candy then stirred in the light of a rainbow- and folded all that into an origami.

Seph glanced at the Prayer.

“Yes. I think you are right. This prayer doesn’t belong in your section. I will take care of it.”

“Thanks, Seph.”

When an Angel says thanks, gratitude and humility pour out in such quantities that War on Earth would end forever, illness would disappear, and Love would conquer all.

Gabriel opened the next Prayer. Anger drained from him as love filled up this thoughts: “Now this is a proper Christmas Prayer. “ thought Gabriel.

“Dear God,

My little brother is five. Mostly he is a stinker.( Gabriel smiled, and the Heavens lit up. Humans Call these flickers of Angel Smiles the Northern Lights, or the Auroa Borealis and consider them a “natural event” caused by electrons being stimulated. How little they know.) But he is basically a good kid. Since Mom and Dad split up he hasn’t had an easy time. He can’t sleep well and is always afraid. He thinks they split up because of him.

I am eight years old and I know it wasn’t anything he did. Mommy just doesn’t like Daddy anymore. I know what that is like because Timmy McFarland and I used to be friends until he put a big snot on my desk in First Grade. (Gabriel’s smile widened. He liked this kid.)

We don’t need toys, Pop-Pop and Nanny will tell Santa what we need, they usually do pretty good getting our letters to Santa. I think they slip in socks and underwear in their own writing. (At that Gabriel laughed, and shared the thought. All the Angels in the Christmas Prayer Section beamed. On Earth Scientists were going bonkers trying to explain the phenomena of the Norther Lights dipping down as low as Georgia and parts of South Carolina).

God... could you help my brother sleep and play again? He isn’t any fun when he plays, he is pretending to have fun. I want him to have real fun again. Oh, and a bike would be nice too if you could make sure Santa sees my list. Merry Christmas on your birthday. Mikey.”

Gabriel sent peace and forgiveness to Mikey. A stern thought he sent with two Messenger Angels to be placed in the minds of the two parents- reminding them that their children love them both.

The next letter glowed with a red and black aura that seems to cling to desperate prayers, like mud does to tires, or dust to a desk- not out of place, just a sign that something needs to be attended to.

Again, it was a true Christmas Prayer. It wasn’t for stuff, or money, or fancy things. No. It was a True Prayer. Short. Powerful. Hopeful.

“Dear God,

I know you can’t make my Mother well. She is going to die. (And tears stained that letter with liquid love) But could you give her a pretty good day, just one before she goes to meet you? Christmas would be nice, but any day you can give her with no pain would be fine. I just want her to have coffee, read the newspaper and ask us about our day.

If you can make her feel real good, just for an hour or two, I would like to take her to Dairy Queen to get a Butterscotch Sundae. She likes to mix chocolate sauce with her butterscotch and it makes us all laugh. Just a day, or part of a day with no pain and some energy, that’s all I want her to have. That would make my Christmas.

Love, Brenda, Jake, Larry, and me. “

God always answered these Prayers. Gabriel had as much leeway as he wanted in letters like these. So he thought for a few minutes before he called in a Messenger Angel.

“Rapture, I want you to take care of this one. Give her as much health as you can. Not more than a five or six hours though, we don’t want the Family to start growing Hope instead of Thanks.”

“I will take care of it. “

On Earth, Debbie felt a little better. She got out of bed, brushed her teeth, then her hair, put a little lipstick on, and a robe. Then she went downstairs to the Kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Daryl walked into the kitchen and almost fainted; Mom was up and around. A huge smile plastered on his face, a giant “Thank you, God” sprung from his mind. Out loud he only said:
“Hey Mom. Merry Christmas.”

Gabriel felt it , all Angels can feel when a prayer is answered. He was going to have to promote Rapture soon. Rapture seemed to have a feel for how to handle these Human Moments and Prayers.

The next letter was soft, almost a wisp, like a butterfly kiss, or a puff of air carrying the words “I love you” from lips nuzzling a neck. He held it for a moment before opening the Prayer. These prayers were always the most sincere, open, and honest. Prayers like these were always simple, but difficult to answer. Gabriel opened it:

“Dear God,

I don’t want to be in pain anymore. Can I please join you in Heaven?” It hurts so bad. Just make the pain stop.”

Gabriel followed the Prayer back to the person praying. Prayers leave a trail that Earth Scientists mistakenly call :”Quantum Entanglement” - it isn’t. The reason he followed the Prayer Trail back was to make sure that the Pain was from Illness, Injury, or Old Age, and not from a broken heart, lost love, isolation, loneliness, or any other temporary pain.

A moment later and Gabriel was standing next to Lisa’s bed in the hospital. Lisa looked up at the angel as he stroked her forehead with a gentle flowing motion. She felt the pain, suffering, and agony fade away to nothing. She smiled.

“Dad! I think Mom is gone! Look at that smile, I don’t think she is in pain anymore. ”

Gabriel was back in the Prayer Section.

Four more letters in a row, all asking for either food, or shelter. Those were answered immediately. Luckily he didn’t need Angels for those. He would just send a thought or two to strangers, the Salvation Army, or some Church members. Humans were pretty good at taking care of their own, once they came in contact with real need.

Another giant smile lit up Gabriel’s Face. Even HE took notice of this one. Gabriel blushed. “Sorry.” HE waved a quick “that’s okay,” and it was. Michael looked at Gabriel, eyes twinkling with joy. Michael favored direct action, and this particular kind of Prayer took exactly that. Gabriel smiled back a knowing look and nodded.

It was one of THOSE Prayers. Gabriel’s favorite kind of prayer…one that asked for the chance to give, to love, to nurture no matter what lay in store for the future. It was a request to Love.

“Dear God,

Kevin and I have been trying for years to have a baby. Nothing seems to work. The Adoption Agencies say we don’t make enough money to raise a child. (Gabriel could hear the snort in the woman’s writing- as if money is what made a child have a childhood). God, we would be a good parents for a baby, or any child. It is a small house but it would be a great home.

Kevin feels like he isn’t a man sometimes. It isn’t his fault, nor mine. I know he would be a wonderful Dad, because he is a wonderful husband. I want to be a family not just a couple. Please, can you bring a child into our life?

Love you, Sally Jo McCallister. “

Gabriel looked over at a stack of Prayers he had set to one side- they weren’t really Christmas Prayers. Just a stack of Prayers where the person was seeking guidance, help, or hope, but almost every day. He thought he remembered getting about a hundred prayers from a girl that just might be the answer to both her and Sally’s prayers.

Rummaging through the not quite Christmas Prayers, Gabriel beamed again. Yes! There were the Prayers from Melinda. Sixteen, homeless, pregnant, but proud and drug free. Gabriel almost yelled : “Cuddle get in here.”

The Angel Cuddle smiled. She loved these assignments. Prayer in hand she flew (although technically that is not what Angels do, but will serve for Human understanding) straight to Earth.

Kevin did not know why he went over to the booth, he just did. It is just that the young girl sitting there sipping coffee had a look on her face that made him want to cry. She had been sitting there for over an hour, never ordered any food. She looked frazzled, frayed, forlorn…alone.

Kevin slipped into the booth across from the young girl who couldn’t be more than fifteen or sixteen years old. He also noticed now that she was pregnant. She looked up as he slid into the booth.

“Have you eaten anything?”

“Why?”

“Well, you know, the baby gets hungry.” (Kevin blushed, he had never been so bold in his life)

She never knew why she reached over to grab the Man’s hand. It just seemed the natural thing to do.

“I am hungry. I am scared. I have no place to live. I have no food. And I spent the last three dollars I had to buy this coffee. I don’t have a family. I don’t have anything.”

She couldn’t help it. The tears poured from her drenching the table in a deluge of broken promises, false hopes, and despair. Her grip on the strange man’s hands tightened. People in other booths just thought a Dad and his Daughter were bonding. Little did they know.

“Well, (and he patted her hand with his free hand)first let’s get you and the baby some food. I am going to call my wife- her name is Sally, I am Kevin. “

“I am Melinda.” Melinda managed to muffle out between sniffles.

“Melinda, what a pretty name. Sally will love it. She will be here in fifteen minutes after I call her. We have a spare room at our house…(Kevin hesitated) I mean, if you want a place to stay for a while till you sort things out. “

Melinda didn’t hesitate at all.

“That would be wonderful!” And it was.

Gabriel took a moment to see all of the NOW that held the future for Melinda, Kevin, and Sally. He just peeked a few years into the now to see this scene:

Melinda was sewing a button on young Kevin’s jeans. Looking out the window into the truck garden, she could see “Daddy K” as she called him, showing little Kevin how to pick which tomatoes were ripe. She heard a chuckle behind her, it was Sally. Melinda called her Mom, not Sally, and both of them simmered in the warm glow that word held for them both.

“Daddy K is going to make a farmer out of that boy yet.”

The two women laughed.

HE looked over at Gabriel - Gabriel as a little ashamed, but not much, that HE had caught him peeking into the NOW. HE merely nodded approval.

The nod included a definite: “Back to work” component. Smiling with delight over the NOW he had just witnessed, Gabriel opened the next Prayer.

“Dear God….”

Merry Christmas everyone!

---