One of my favorite stories of Christmas is the story of Wally, a little kid about 10 years old. He went to this little country church, and every year, the little country church had a Christmas pageant. Wally always wanted to be in the Christmas pageant. But Wally was a lot like me … you know, a little bit slow. And he just didn’t ever have a chance to be in the play.
For every role that he would volunteer or lift his hand for, Ms. Smith would overlook Wally and give the role to somebody else. She didn’t want Wally ruining the play.
Finally, it came time to select someone to play the innkeeper. Ms. Smith didn’t think Wally could mess up that part. After all, it was probably the most insignificant part of the whole play. Surely, he couldn’t mess up with just five words to say. That’s all the part required, five words. All the innkeeper had to say was “no room in the inn.” Surely Wally could say that.
So she selected Wally to play the innkeeper, and Wally was so happy. They practiced two times for the play, and Wally didn’t miss a beat. Every time Joseph would ask a question about there being room in the inn, Wally would repeat the five words: “No room in the inn.”
Then came the big night. The small country church was packed. After all, these were their children in the play. You’ve been there. They had bathrobes and sheets and towels flowing down to the floor. The sanctuary was filled with stick animals made of wood. There was the painted inn on the cardboard in the background.
The play progressed, and then the time came for Mary and Joseph to speak with Wally the Innkeeper and ask for a room. Down the aisle they came, Joseph and Mary. Slowly, gradually. They came up to where Wally was. He was standing there waiting for them with arms crossed and a big frown on his face.
Joseph asked for a place to stay: “Please, sir, Mr. Innkeeper, my wife and I are very tired, and my wife is expecting a child. Perhaps even tonight. Do you have a room where we could stay?”
With a big frown on his face, Wally blurted out, “No room in the inn.”
Joseph tried one more time.
“Please, sir, don’t you understand? My wife is expecting a child, and we’re so tired, and we need someplace where we can lie down.”
Wally blurted out again, “No room in the inn.”
Finally, one more time, Joseph tried to persuade Wally the Innkeeper to give them a room.
“Please, sir, I beg you. Don’t you have any kind of room where my wife and I can stay? Can’t you see that we’re expecting a child? And she’s so tired.”
But Wally wouldn’t budge. He straightened his back up, put that frown on his face, looked at Joseph, and said, “No room in the inn.”
Joseph and Mary walked away.
No one was more excited than Ms. Smith because she was certain they had made it through the play without Wally messing up.
Joseph and Mary got nearly to the back of the sanctuary. The crowd was quiet and into the play. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Wally blurted out in a loud voice that shook the rafters, “Come back, Joseph. Come back. You can have my room.”
The congregation rolled with laughter.
But you know, Wally’s mind might have been slow, but his heart was as good as gold. For isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Wally was giving up his room for someone else. When that newborn Christ child grew to be a man, He gave up His life so that we could have life eternal.
Thank God for the Wallys of the world who remind us of God’s great love that will not turn us away.
(Editor’s note: This story is adapted from “Trouble at the Inn” by Dina Donohue, first published in Guidepost Magazine in 1966.)
