Holly, the Christmas Fairy

In the days of Herod a fairy lived,
whom God commanded to help tend the sheep,
for even the shepherds, His humblest of servants,
deserved a few hours of sleep.

For years she kept watch in Bethlehem's hills
in the wee-est hours of black winters' nights,
when one fateful eve in the crystal sky
this pixie beheld a most beauteous sight.

The star shone with brightness beyond compare -
she knew right away it must be a sign,
so she awakened her shepherd friends
that they too might witness a night divine.

The shepherds, so used to a lowly life,
were chosen by God to share in His joy,
so sent them this fairy long years before
that one day they'd welcome His newborn boy.

She'd faithfully served this commonplace task
though one could argue it seemed too mundane.
While most fairies lived in magical lands,
not once had she balked or thought to complain.

"Sweet girl," God whispered, "your job is complete -
you've toiled for years with no hope of glory.
You had no idea the part you would play
in this, My Son's birth, My greatest story.

From this day forth you'll wear holly berries,
rich red as the blood My Son soon will shed,
and a gown of pure white, as pure as He,
with a crown of ivy upon your head.

As Christmas fairy, a place of honor
will always be yours in Heaven above,
for you, dear child, in humble obedience,
have shown to My world the meaning of love."