Playgrounds of the Lord

The Three Little Wise Girls

Playgrounds of the Lord

Today was a special day in Heaven — if one could say that any particular day in Eternity was more special than another — for Pawpaw’s enthusiastic granddaughters were graduating from Heaven’s Nurseries to the Playgrounds of the Lord!

The three little angels did not know quite what to expect, for every day was a beautiful present, wrapped in love and anticipation. And yet, somehow, this day felt even more special… or, as Luna might say, “more specialer!”

They held onto their nannies’ robes of glory as they were lovingly escorted along the sacred parkway to the always-welcoming Playgrounds.

Upon seeing the Playgrounds for the first time, Gracie — the oldest and always the boldest — stepped forward in awe. Little Luna followed, her eyes widening at the wonders around her.

Inside the Playgrounds

Surely sweet little Rosie, the youngest, would need a bit of coaxing. But bless her hearts (for Rosie knows that love is together for sure and always), she was every bit as brave as her sisters.

So Rosie toddled to their sides, holding their hands as one of the nanny angels spoke:
“From now on, you are welcome here — to explore to your heart’s content and your soul’s delight. For here, one can see forever, do all the good that can be done, and discover wonders always just ahead.”

The girls smiled and giggled with joy as they flew into the Kingdom’s playgrounds, cherished little princesses of glory. The opalescent light of their presence trailed behind them, like the rhythm of laughter on a spring morning, a playful song born of sweet beginnings.

Luna and Rosie were so overwhelmed, they did not know where to begin! Luna laughed and leaped into the first fluffy cloud with a cheerful poof! Rosie did the same, but for her, no ordinary heavenly cloud would do for it must be pink!

While her sisters bounced from one pastel cloud to another, Luna counting and Rosie pretending to, Gracie examined everything carefully. To her, this was no mere playground — it was a profound gift of love from Jesus.

As her sisters played, Gracie pondered,
“Tomorrow is Christmas, and everyone gives gifts to each other on Christmas. And Jesus gave so much for us all — the greatest gift, the gift of love. But what can we give Him?”

Oh, that thought would not let her go! She thought and thought until finally she whispered to herself,
“We have nothing to give, but…”

And that is when she had an idea — the kind of idea that gives the word precious its meaning.

🌈 Gracie’s Most Extraordinary Christmas Plan

Gracie looked around at the beautiful Playgrounds. It was a place unlike anything she had ever imagined — a place filled with wonders and blessings without end.

She flew up into the air, her little wings fluttering as she looked all around.
Everywhere she turned, Heaven shimmered with soft, shifting colors — glimmers within rainbows, rainbows inside miracles, iridescent sparkles of light that danced in whimsical exultation.

And so Gracie whispered to herself,
“Eerie-desk-scents.” (For that was how she heard the word “iridescence.”)

So off she ran to the nanny angels and, without delay, asked for four empty buckets.

“I ask you please, if your heart agrees, may I have one red, one blue, one green, and yellow too? For me and my sisters two!”

They wondered why a little angel could possibly need four empty buckets. Was it to play in the giant Sandbox of Wonders and Treasures, or perhaps the Beach of Blessings? Because she was so full of excitement and anticipation, they gave her the buckets without any ado or hesitation. And zoom, off she went like a comet to find her little sisters.

One little cherub leaped once and twice wondered, “Oh my, are comets this lively in Heaven always? I’ve not seen such behavior in all my days!”

Gracie said to her sisters,
“Luna, Rosie, tomorrow is Christmas, and we are going to give Jesus the best present we can muster!”

Rosie blinked. “Are we going to give Baby Jesus mustard?”

Luna gasped with delight. “Alright! Let’s give Him the best mustard ever!”

Gracie,
“Not mustard — muster! It's a kind of must!”

Luna,
“What kind of must?”

Rosie,
“Is it a must for Christmas?”

Gracie:
“Yes, this is a must for Christmas! Now here's what we shall do. See all the eerie-desk-scents, all of Heaven’s colors? We are going to collect the colors and put them into these buckets.”

Gracie said,
“Luna, the blue bucket is for you — blue being the color of moonbeams. And of course the red bucket, being the color of roses, is for Rosie. And I’ll take the yellow and green. Now Luna, you put all the blue colors in your bucket, and Rosie, you put all the rosy‑pink colors into yours.”

Rosie stood there staring at her empty bucket.

Luna nudged, “You put all the rosy colors in there.”

Rosie smiled:
“Alls of thems?”

Gracie declared,
“Yes, all that you please! We will gather them up and bring them back here! And then you’ll see! Okay, girls, let’s do this! For Jesus!”

So, off the little cherubs went like squirrels gathering nuts, harvesting the iridescence of Heaven — collecting the colors like treasure.

Rosie toddled toward the rosy clouds, scooping up every shade of red she could find: pink, ruby, cherry, rose, and anything in‑between. And most of them she even got into the bucket. And the rest… well, it’s the thought that counts.

Luna danced and twirled through the sky, catching blues in her bucket — sky blue, baby blue, funny blue, and true blue too.

And of course Gracie. Gold is her color, so she collected all the yellows from sunbeams in no time at all. And as for the greens, it was as if they had simply been waiting to be in her care.

In three winks, perhaps four, they were done.

So Gracie told her sisters her plan, and they giggled and snickered, each one. And when she was finished, all three did shout,
“For Jesus!”

Rosie proudly proclaimed,
“Happy birthday, Baby Jesus!”

Luna looked at their buckets and whispered,
“This is gonna make the bestest Christmas present ever.”

So off they went with their determinations and their musts. But what were they up to? That’s what we all want to know.

Later that day, who should come around? Why, it was Raphael, of course, making his usual round.

Footprints Leading into the Playgrounds

But when he came to the entrance of the Playgrounds, what did he see? Three trails of primary‑colored footprints, as plain as can be! The sight nearly had him floored, and he almost dropped his big pearly clipboard.

Raphael Follows the Footprints

Following the footprints was as easy as pie, and it wasn’t long before the little Rembrandts he did spy. And all along the way were little doodles: flowers and birds and bunnies and butterflies, suns and stars and moons and rainbows, and little handprints, footprints… and is that a face‑print?

And there they were, all covered in paint, beaming with pride, coloring as diligently as can be. Not one noticed Raphael standing right behind them. And just as he was about to them reprimand, he overheard their whisperings.

Gracie whispered:
“For Jesus.”

Luna whispered:
“For Jesus.”

And Rosie said softly,
“For Baby Jesus.”

And of course Raphael's heart could only melt.

Raphael politely cleared his throat to get their attention and asked,
“And what do we have here?”

Gracie said excitedly,
“We are making surprise birthday presents for dear Jesus!”

Luna beamed,
“Uh huh, and Christmas presents too! It's from our hearts!”

Rosie softly said,
“Me too also. Because He wuvs us so, I does my very best for Him. See how pretty!”

Raphael:
“Well," he said, “Heaven's never seen anything quite this… special.”

Gracie smiled. “They are special because they are Hallelujoodles!”

“Hallelujoodles?” asked Raphael.

Luna,
“Uh huh. Hallelujoodles are doodles that praise the Lord!”

Rosie,
“Uh huh too. Hallelujoodles are doodles that wuv baby Jesus!”

So Raphael called the nanny angels, instructing them to clean up the messes and the three little cherubs — robes, halos, and all.

But remembering their charming little faces and their whispers of “For Jesus,” he knew one thing for certain: the doodles — or rather, the Hallelujoodles — the handprints, and the footprints must stay.

As their heavenly nannies took the three little cherubs to be washed, rinsed, soaked, and perhaps — and probably — washed again, they passed a large white wall near the entrance.

So Gracie begged and tugged at their nannies’ robes:
“Oh please, one more? Can’t we do one more for Jesus?”

Luna too:
“Just one more coloring, please!”

And Rosie chimed in:
“For baby Jesus, because I have one more inside to get out.” Luna nudged her. “Peas.”

All three:
“For Jesus?”

Look at those eyes — what are nanny angels to do? Three little pairs of cherub eyes looking up, wide, hopeful, irresistible.
So yes, they may do just one more, one last doodle… for Jesus.

Gracie, Luna, and Rosie

Just One More

As they painted, Gracie asked Rosie,
“What are you drawing?”

Rosie answered,
“Kitty cat!”

Though it looked like a bunny… with a Santa hat.

And Gracie asked Luna:
“And what are you painting?”

“Jesus’ mommy!” Luna proudly declared.

Gracie laughed:
“Oh, Mary Christmas!”

Rosie and Luna shouted together, “Mary Christmas!” and burst into laughter.

But the nannies froze.

Because someone was standing behind the girls.

It was Mary herself.

As she did every day, she came to visit all God’s children!

Mary looked sternly at the doodles.
She looked at the determined little girls.
She looked at the paint on their halos, their wings, their fingers and toes, their ears and their elbows, their noses — and what else only heaven knows.

And then she smiled — a smile that bloomed into a warm, gentle laugh.

And wouldn’t you know? Mary shimmered and glimmered, and grew younger and smaller, becoming a young child. She then ran to join them — to color, to doodle, to laugh, to play all that day.

But to the three little cherubs, she was simply a happy little girl who had come to help them make Hallelujoodles for Jesus.

When Mary saw the little angels' gifts of love for Jesus, and their determined little faces, she became as a child and joined them!

“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 18:3

And so the Playgrounds of the Lord — once white and shining and iridescent — became a colorful mural of children’s handprints, footprints, hearts, suns, cherry trees, and marvelous holy doodles.

Mary Christmas Everyone!

Gracie whispered, “It’s Merry Christmas, not Mary Christmas... but, shhh, don’t tell.”