Charlotte jumped down from the couch. She half skipped and half ran into the kitchen. “It’s snowing,” she happily told her mother.

Her mother looked out the back window and sighed. “Yes,” she said, “hopefully it doesn’t snow too much.”

Charlotte ran back into the living room and climbed up on the couch to watch the snowfall. It covered the front yard and street. After a while, Charlotte jumped down. She ran to the bookshelf and started looking through the books. Her little finger ran along the books on one shelf, and another, and another. Finally, way on the bottom, she found it. She carefully pulled the book out and ran to find her older sister. 

Her older sister stood in front of the mirror, fixing her make-up. “Can you read me the Christmas story,” Charlotte asked, holding up the book.

“I haven’t got time,” her sister replied. “I have rehearsal for the Christmas concert.”

“When you get home,” Charlotte asked.

“It will be late when I get home,” her sister said. “Not today. And not any time this week either. We have rehearsal every night.”

Charlotte walked away. She heard her brother asking when dinner would be. Charlotte ran to him, “Can you read me the Christmas story,” she asked, bouncing up and down before him.

He shook his head, “Don’t you know that we have practice for the Christmas play tonight? I’ve just enough time for dinner.”

Maybe her mother would read to her. But no, her mother had no time. She needed to bake Christmas cookies for a Christmas party, and church, and the play, and half a dozen other things.

Charlotte’s dad came in from work. He stomped the snow off his feet and took off his coat. 

“Can you read to me,” Charlotte asked looking up at him with pleading eyes. 

“Can’t tonight, sweetie,” he said, “Didn’t Mom tell you we have a Christmas party to go to?” 

Charlotte slowly walked over to the couch and sat down on it. She looked down at the book in her hand. 

“No one has time for Christmas,” she said sadly. “They are like the innkeeper in this story. They are all too busy with their concerts, and plays, and cookies, and parties and have no time for Jesus.” She looked down at the picture of the nativity scene on the book she held. Her face brightened. 

She ran down to her room and soon returned with her doll, teddy bear, and penguin. She placed these carefully on the couch and climbed up next to them. “No one else has time for Christmas,” she told her toys, “but I do. I want to have time for Jesus. So, I am going to tell you the Christmas story.” Carefully, she turned the pages on the book and told the Christmas story in simple childlike words. 

Closing the book, she looked at her animals. “Aren’t you glad that at least Jesus had time for Christmas?”