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~ The
Wise
Woman ~
T'was a
long
time ago
when she
was
young…
That the
hollow
trees
filled
with
snow,
Red
socks of
wool
were
merrily
hung,
And the
halls
were
green
with
mistletoe.
T'was a
time
such as
this
that
The
Smitty's
daughter
sat in
quiet
awe,
And
watched
a figure
in a
pulled
down hat
Come
trudging
up the
draw.
Then a
knock…
knock…
knock…was
heard,
And her
breathing
came
swift in
her
chest,
An
opened
door,
without
a single
word,
Brought
a woman
in a
patchwork
dress.
The
strange,
little
woman
held a
golden
case,
'Tis
from a
far off
land …"
she
said,
And she
placed
it above
the old
fireplace,
On the
mantle,
high
overhead.
The lid
was
painted
in an
ancient
script
Each
marking
etched
fine and
bold,
The case
was
heavy,
but she
decided
to lift
The box
for the
girl to
hold…
The
young
girl
peeked
deep
inside
the lid
And
exclaimed
in
disbelief…
"Oh my…
oh my…"
and down
she slid
To fall
in her
chair
and
weep.
She'd
never
seen
such a
beautiful
thing
Or
beheld
such a
sacred
treasure
For
inside
there
lay a
sweet
baby
King,
In a
Nativity,
beyond
all
measure…
A simple
smile
touched
the
woman's
face
As she
watched
the
innocence
in a
child,
Nothing
in all
the
world
can
replace
Such
sweetness,
undefiled.
Then the
woman
gazed to
a far
off mile
And
seemed
lost in
all her
thought,
But when
she
spoke,
after a
little
while
It was
wisdom
that was
wrought…
" Tis a
wondrous
thing,
to have
such
love
That you
would do
such a
beautiful
labor,
Tis the
kind of
work
that is
spoken
of
By all
men and
all they
favor…
This
golden
scene of
our Lord
and
King,
As a
babe
coddled
in the
hay,
Brings
our
heart
such
joy,
that we
want to
sing
On this
shining
Christmas
Day!
But I
would be
amiss if
I did
not
insist
An
understanding
of what
you
hold,
For the
Lord
desires
in our
hearts a
fire
More
than an
effigy
cast in
gold…
The baby
there,
in a
manger's
straw
Is our
Light in
a
darkened
land,
The
angels
sing and
rejoice
in awe…
God's
own Son,
in the
heart of
a man!
Though
scores
of
seasons
have
passed
on by
The
message
remains
the
same,
Our
Savior
and Lord
left his
throne
on high…
And for
each one
of us,
He
came…"
Then a
strange
foggy
mist
seemed
to blur
her
sight
And the
girl
gave a
sleepy
yawn,
Now no
one was
there,
had she
seen
things
right?
Where
had the
strange,
little
woman
gone?
She
began to
think it
had all
been a
dream
But she
rubbed
disbelieving
eyes,
On the
mantle
high
stood
the
manger
scene…
Brought
by a
strange
little
sage, so
wise!
Sharon
Frye
©
2004
used
with
permission
Heroes
of
the
Heart
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