* I own nothing of Rizzoli and Isles I just have the privilege of playing with the characters for a while.

v

Rondo stepped out and caught the women before they ascended the stairs up onto the stage. Jane almost ran him over. "Easy Vanilla she's not going anywhere and these people are here for church."

She looked around and realized what he said was true but started to just interrupt the service anyway until Maura patted her arm and pointed to the empty front pew where they promptly sat. She grumbled but at least she could see Susan from where she was sitting.

The minister got up and started speaking, "Today is an unusual day for us here. For we are going to do things differently than what is on your bulletins. For you see today we get to witness a Christmas miracle and it's not that my sermon will be shorten either." The congregation laughed at the joke.

"No... today I'll briefly speak about little ears. See this Christmas for another congregation in our city is filled with sadness at the situation concerning their priest and a missing girl. While nothing can be done about the priest situation..." She paused for affect, "... today we see that the missing girl has been found and is very much healthy and safe which is a miracle.

So my sermon is really a reflection on her tale. For this little one you see here...listens. I wish that all my congregation listened to my sermons as well as she listened to her priest but that's a whole other sermon.

This little girl heard about a God who loved humanity so much that He sent his son to help them out of their stumbling and chaos. How He came as a baby and tried to show that God loved everyone and that we should love everyone like God did. Unfortunately the words spoken were not the words practiced by the speaker and for a young six year old mind it didn't make sense. Why do people say one thing and do another? This was her question.

Then a situation came up in her life that she felt she only had one choice. When she was told that two people she loved were in trouble for helping her and loving her. She had to run away to help some one else and maybe it would balance things like it did when God sent his son and her two friends wouldn't get into trouble. We as adults smile at the innocent thought but it's an amazing concept for little ears.

As luck would have it she had been talking to an older man that lived in Mamma Hattie's building whose wife had dementia and was told had a very short time to live. This man in younger days would work as a part time Santa and that was the time frame his wife was in so he dressed up in his old suit and would go to the park and sit on a bench for a bit then go back home. He did this so his wife wouldn't become upset that he wasn't working. This is where Susan met him...in the park.

The couple had a daughter that was seven during that time in their lives. She passed away of meningitis when she was eight. But the woman was in a time frame when life was full of fun and happiness for them. Their daughter was full of life and there was hope of a future before them. The man would tell his wife that Jenny was sleeping over a friends house when she would ask where the girl was. It was difficult for him to lie to her.

But one day Susan came to him with the answer to both of their problems he thought. She would be Jenny for his wife until she passed. He knew that there was a family grieving but the girl was going to leave anyway to find someone to help and she thought that surely Santa would know who would need help. He felt he could protect her for a day or two but then his wife was so happy with having the girl around that it became two weeks until last night.

Mamma Hattie got a knock on her door from Jim. He asked the woman to keep his granddaughter while he took Julie to the hospital where she died a little after mid-night and he suffered a heart attack an hour later and died. They had been married for 58 years and seems couldn't stand to be apart.

Mamma realized who the girl was when Susan recognized a scarf that had been left at her house by Jane. The little girl talked and talked about everything and how she missed her family. Wondering what to do mamma called her son Rondo who came to her to help. They decided that church would be the best place for the family to be reunited since he felt with everything going on in the country... the police might not believe a black man with a missing six year old white girl with him, when he said "he was going to return her to her family."

So today we see a Christmas miracle of a family being restored and hopefully learn the lesson of love that was heard by little ears. I pray we will carry that lesson into our pieces of the world and help others.

Now...I'm going to close with this since I know two women want a hug from a certain little girl really badly. Let us remember to pray for the other congregation that is hurting over the loss of their priest and remember Christmas Eve mid-night service where Mamma Hattie and Jane Rizzoli have a special planned for us. Let's end with a chorus of "Joy To The World." She said as she ended the message.

Jane looked up at Mamma Hattie totally puzzled at the announcement but the woman had a smile wide on her face knowing that Jane had said look of confusion on her face even though she couldn't see it. Susan came running off the stage and jumped into Jane's waiting arms. Then crawled over into Maura's. Mamma Hattie came up to them, "What special thing Mamma?" Jane asked the smiling woman.

"Oh we'll think of something now won't we child." She said hugging the woman and handed her the letter that Jim had given to Susan. She was to give it to her that morning if he didn't return. It explained everything that really was said in the sermon. Jane figured the minister had read it to mamma and then changed her sermon around it. It really didn't matter at the moment because her heart soared when she heard "Susan" being yelled by Ed and Sam as they ran down the aisle when they saw the little girl.

Okay I might not make my time lines but I will try... Christmas is really the busiest time of the year. And for those that Christmas hits early...Merry Christmas!