There is something so sweet about Christmas pageants. I adore watching little children tell the age-old Christmas story of the birth of Baby Jesus. The scent of the Christmas candles, the earnest young shepherds "tending their sheep", the herald angel lisping out her message of glad tidings at every school Christmas play, and every church Christmas pageant...

Attending your child's or grandchild's Christmas pageant is such a refreshing break from the Christmas shopping that keeps us all so busy at this time of year. We become so focused on our pursuit of the perfect Christmas gift, the loveliest Christmas party decorations, that we can loose sight of the real reason for the season.

My son is long past the age of participating in school Christmas plays, but we are fortunate to have an active Scout Pack at church. They participate in many of the special Sundays, including the November 11th Veterans' service, and a special Baden Powell memorial. Best of all, they present a Christmas play every December with all the Scouts, Cubs and Brownies taking part.

"There's a star in the east on Christmas morn, Rise up shepherds and follow..." So begins one of the loveliest pieces of classic Christmas music ever sung...and so begin many of the Christmas pageant's in which I played a part over the years - with the shepherds.

Almost all of us have put in our time as shepherds, resplendent in borrowed boys' bathrobes and sandals, with one of Mom's large cotton dishtowels tied on our heads for a shepherds' headdress.

"...and there were at that time shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, when, lo! an angel of the Lord came unto them, and glory shone all about them..."

Being a member of the junior choir meant that I already knew the songs we would be singing in the pageant.

As well, for some reason known only to them, many of my grade school teachers over the years have thought I looked "angelic".

Goodness only knows why - my parents and siblings always hooted with laughter at the thought.

Nevertheless, I was often tagged to be the herald angel, or at least, one of the multitude that "appeared in the heavens singing...Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill to men".

One of my favorite parts of the pageant was when the Innkeeper turned Joseph and Mary away from his too-full establishment.

There are a number of possible apocryphal, or, at least, embellished stories of Innkeepers who almost ruined the play by being too tender-hearted to turn away the weary travelers.

I can attest to this story though, for I was one of the angels in attendance at the manger.

Our Innkeeper was played by one of the Grade Six boys. He was big fellow, to us at any rate, but was really quite soft-spoken for all his size. He also had a bit of a reputation as a class clown, and you could never be sure what would strike his fancy, or tickle his sense of mischief.

Our teacher was a brave man, however, and extracted a promise of good behavior from the boy. He also had worked with him, coaching him to speak very harshly to Joseph.

On the night of the pageant, the boy came through in spades. He was all business as he spoke roughly to the tired couple, brusquely gestured towards the stable and ordering them from his door.

As Mary and Joseph trudged off though, quiet laughter ran through the audience.

Quickly stifled, it nonetheless alerted us to some deviation in the script. Something must have gone wrong! This was not supposed to be funny - this was the sad part!

From our perch above the "stable", we angels could see across the small stage.

The curtain still drawn part way to shield the stable from sight until Mary and Joseph arrived, but a quick peek through the opening showed us what the audience had already seen - the lugubrious face of the landlord peering out from the half-opened doorway.

As the travelers crossed to the stable and laid the bundled baby in the manger, he silently slipped from the inn and tiptoed across the stage after them.

By the time our Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar had arrived to the familiar strains of "We Three Kings", the innkeeper had taken up station just outside the stable door.

There he knelt, watching solemnly as the magi laid their gifts at the foot of the manger, to honor the new-born king.

When the shepherds arrived to adore the baby, he too came forward. Not having been given anything to say, he stood mute for a moment, pondering.

Everyone who had approached the manger had given something to give to the child.

Even the poorest of the shepherds had been given a gift to lay before the manger, but the innkeeper had nothing.

Making up his mind, he stuck out his hand to Joseph. Bemused, the boy playing Joseph put out his hand as well.

The innkeeper shook it gravely and then picked up the swaddled baby-doll from the straw-filled manger and handed it to Mary.

Bending down, he carefully spread his cloak over the straw and then gently returned the baby to its cradle.

Nodding to the startled kings, he marched resolutely back to his inn.

Stopping in the doorway, he turned to the audience, waggling his shoulders expressively.

He gestured towards the straw-filled manger and said, "Prickly."

Having delivered himself of this information, he went "inside" and closed the door.

After everyone filed back on stage and the last carols were sung, cries of "Well done, innkeeper!" rang out from the back of the hall. Needless to say, he was front and center, right between Mary and Joseph, for the curtain call.

I have been a part of Christmas pageants that were beautiful and memorable for many reasons, but this boy's actions speaks to me down the years. He quite literally gave the coat off his back to comfort a stranger.

• Though we may not a be called on to say a word, we all have something we can contribute.
• Some of the finest gifts are simple and simply given from the heart
• Though we may believe we have nothing to give, there is always some service or talent we can offer - we are more blessed than we know

May the blessings of this joyous Christmas time enrich your lives and bring you peace!