The tale of the Christmas Shonkey

I'm a terrible blogger. I blame it on lack of material and lack of motivation. In putting together my end of the year video over the past couple of days I discovered that I relied pretty heavily on this blog in the past to remember all that had transpired. This year my documentation is sparse and it's caused me to regret my lazy blogging.


That doesn't mean I'm suddenly full of material or motivation. I do however fully intend to be back here in a couple of days to recount our Christmas holiday. Not because it was spectacular and will make interesting reading but because if I don't I will be left wondering next December what in the world we did.


To ease myself back into the blogging habit, I decided to reach back into the Wood family archives and tell a story that has never been shared on this forum before. It will go down in history, however, as one of our greatest Christmas memories of all time. And it's all thanks to a friend who has no idea the blessing she gave to our family all those many Christmases ago. If you've ever read Max Lucado's "The Crippled Lamb" (my all time favorite Christmas book by the way) then you should know that this story has a lot in common with that story. First, it's about an animal in the stable who suffered a disability. Second, it's the story of how God always has a plan even when we can't see it. Third, it always makes me cry. Although, I usually cry for different reasons. This is the story of "The Christmas Shonkey". Enjoy.


Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived a charmed life. She was 4 years old with golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. On Sunday nights in December her parents would take her to church to be a part of a preschool choir. There she would learn songs about the birth of baby Jesus and play with her friends. She looked forward with great anticipation to the night when her special role in the play would be revealed.


When the announcement was finally made, she was so excited to present her Mommy with the paper that held her part. She would be a donkey in the stable! Oh sure, her best friend Abigail would be Mary, the mother of Jesus and most blessed among women. And her friend Kaitlyn would be a white & woolly sheep. But she and her buddy Baylor would be donkeys! And all that was required was a gray sweatsuit from Wal-Mart. This part made her Mommy very happy since it would require no crafting or sewing of any kind.


So the little girl worked tirelessly for months preparing for her role. And when the big night arrived she donned her gray Wal-Mart sweatsuit with pride and headed to church where she would be fitted with the final piece, the donkey's head.


Then it happened. A Christmas tragedy that to this day she has never fully recovered from.


One of her choir teachers realized that all the donkey heads were taken! All that were left were sheep heads! Reluctantly, the little girl put on the head of a sheep while wearing the body of a donkey and faced her audience in shame.


For who could ever learn to love a Shonkey?


It took years for her to discuss that fateful night with her parents. When she finally agreed to open her heart to them regarding the matter she simply stated "It was the MOST embarrassing moment of my life! I was HUMILIATED!!"


Of course, her parents, being the kind, merciful and understanding people that they are laughed their ever lovin' heads off at her. Not just at the ridiculous notion that nothing more humiliating would ever happen to her or that a 4 year old even knew what humiliation was. No. They laughed because they knew that for the rest of her life, every Christmas, they would display the picture of "Ocho the Christmas Shonkey" and giggle.


They also explained to her what a perfect example it was of God's love and acceptance. After all, none of us are what God had intended for us to be. And none of us are all that we want to be. But God can use a shonkey in His stable to bring joy to all who will allow Him to. And God has a special place for those who feel left out of getting a donkey head.


Oh, who are we kidding. There's no spiritual lesson here. We just think the shonkey is stinkin' hilarious.


*It was only when I put the picture out as we were decorating for Christmas this year that Ocho revealed the identity of the choir teacher who created the shonkey and therefore gave our family a memory to treasure forever. Thank you Tonya Dodd. We appreciate it more than you'll ever know. : )

(And before you ask, no I don't know who the poor little girl dressed in green with a sheep's head is. Although, whenever the Ocho complains about me showing this picture, I point out that being a shonkey is way better that being a frog with a sheep's head. I mean, a shog? That's just tragic.)