Waiting for Christmas

By Sheryl Wright

(Based on a true story)

The author lives in Utah, USA.

Illustrations by Katherine Blackmore

Tomorrow was Christmas!

Jacob helped Mom make sugar cookies. They made them in fun shapes. Stars. Candy canes. Snowmen. Christmas trees.

Mom made frosting. Jacob helped frost the cookies. Jacob and Mom put sprinkles on the frosting. Jacob was having fun.

But Jacob kept thinking. There were lots of presents under the Christmas tree. One of them was wrapped in red paper. It had Jacob’s name on it. He thought maybe it was a soccer ball. Jacob loved soccer.

Tomorrow was so far away. Jacob wiggled in his chair. He wanted Christmas now!

“Time for dinner,” Mom said. It was chicken noodle soup. That was Jacob’s favorite! But all through dinner Jacob wiggled. It was just too hard to wait for Christmas.

After dinner the family went to the living room. Jacob tried to sit still. But he kept wiggling. He wanted to open his presents.

Jacob’s family had a Christmas program. They sang “Silent Night.” Then Dad read about when Jesus was born.

Jacob stopped wiggling. He felt peaceful. He remembered that Christmas was about Jesus.

Mom prayed. Then Jacob hugged her.

“Jesus is the best part of Christmas!” he said.