Up in another realm, a Being rested on His throne, eyes closed and deep in thought. His tunic, woven of the thickest white clouds, shimmered as a sudden gust of wind surrounded Him. The rustle of wind quickly died down, leaving a peaceful quiet, the echo of singing in the distance. The Being, who had chosen to be seen as a man, smiled at the cherub before Him.

The tiny angel fell to his knees and bowed deeply. “My Lord, my God!” The little one tried to make his voice booming and loud, only to let out a series of squeaks. Stubby wings poked out behind him and fluttered sheepishly.

Multicolored eyes flickered with affection and amusement as He leaned forward, clutching golden armrests. “James, you know why I have called you. In a few days, it will be Christmas.” God – for of course, that’s who He was – hesitated, then lowered His voice to a whisper. “The birth of My Son,” He breathed.

James, with his sweet smile and rosy cheeks, beamed with delight. All the angels knew what this meant. After all, it happened every year. And each time, a single angel would be chosen to lead a mission . . . Oh, how exciting! Finally, it was his turn . . .

God looked over at His creation, Earth, and peered over several dimensions all at once. He noticed the unhappiness, the sorrow, the lack of kindness of His children during this merry time. It saddened the Father, weighing heavily on His heart. But just like last year, and the thousands of years before, He would intervene.

The Lord closed His eyes and reached out to the wall thirty feet to His left. The space seemed to shrink until the smooth, bare surface of the wall was less than a foot away. The other walls that lined the large room were decorated with large pieces of cloth, dangling from thick obsidian studs. The soft material was woven with golden and diamond thread; it was imbedded with emeralds, sapphires, and gems known only to the heavens. A memoir of each Christmas since the first Noel itself.

But after this mission, He thought, the bland wall would no longer be so tasteless. He grinned, sending a wave of light and cheer across the throne room and breaking the temporary sense of gloom. God turned toward the cherub.

“It is time for the Christmas Tapestry!”

* * *

James wriggled in his hiding spot behind the tall fake plant, brimming with excitement. So far, so good. The wee cherub had found his way into a tiny coffee shop off Reade Street, and was now tucked in a dusty corner behind a plastic Christmas tree. James peeked around the thin branches, his wings stretched out.

Sleep-deprived New Yorkers milled around, clutching steaming cups of strong coffee and warming themselves from the heavy snow that fell outside. One woman in particular sat in the back of the little shop, auburn ringlets framing her face. Her eyes held a confused expression, full of indecision. Anyone could see she was greatly troubled.

James instantly knew this was the perfect place to start his mission. He willed himself to become invisible, making his way toward the young woman’s booth. He climbed onto the seat beside her and, all at once, noticed she was staring at something. He followed the woman’s gaze, and noticed something truly upsetting.

Across the shop, a middle-aged man was frantically searching his wallet for to pay for his order. He was muttering to himself and getting even more frustrated as he searched, pale and frightened. The owner stood over him and tapped the table impatiently, informing the customer of the consequences if he did not pay. A feeling of realization crept into James’s heart as he took note of the stranger’s tattered coat and hat splattered with dirt, his tired expression, his thin frame. This man was struggling to support himself, and maybe others. James looked back at the woman. Her steel eyes were fixed on the man, obviously on the edge of what to do.

James understood what needed to be done. The angel quickly stood up straight and leaned gently into the woman, wrapping his pudgy but gentle hands around her. He whispered encouraging words in her ear, urging her onward. Suddenly, as if struck by a impulse, the woman rose from her seat and slowly walked over to the anxious man’s table. She casually - and silently - pressed a twenty dollar bill into the man’s hand. The owner’s eyes widened as the red-head promptly left the table, paid for her own breakfast, and disappeared from the little shop.
The customer was in disbelief, looking from his own hand to the glass entrance doors, still swinging back in place. The little cherub laughed to himself, unable to contain the relief and joy that filled him. I can’t help myself, he thought with a last giggle. There’s a new Christmas Tapestry!

* * *

All that happened several years ago. The scruffy man, George, never forgot the kindness he was shown that day, as small as it was. He never missed a chance to help someone after that, starting the moment he stepped out of the coffee shop. As soon as he turned a corner, still in shock of what had happened only minutes before, a rushed pedestrian tripped over the curb and spilled his shopping bags full of Christmas presents over the sidewalk. George never hesitated, but stooped over to pick up every last gift and return it to the frazzled youngster.
The teenager, touched by George’s simple act of kindness, later gave up his seat on the bus to let an exhausted mother-to-be sit down.
The expecting mother, extremely grateful for a moment of rest, decided to do good herself and helped two completely lost tourists find the nearest place to stay. . .

And so began the next Tapestry, which would become little James’ legacy in Heaven. His affectionate nature never left him, and he rose to lead many other cherubim on their own missions. The Lord was greatly pleased by his work and hung the new cloth onto another stud in the wall, just as Jesus, the Son of God, was born.

But how, you ask, would doing something so plain and tiny become the cause of such joy and beauty? Each time a simple deed of kindness occurred, a thread of the tapestry would weave its way through, and then run through a completely new thread. And so, from what started as a little act of compassion produced a new, beautiful, Christmas Tapestry.