An Unexpected Glory, by Marcia Lee Laycock (Helping Hands Press, 2013)
Christmas pageants. Intensive practice and preparation, with so much pressure to get everything just right.
For Pastor Steve, there’s an extra weight. The annual performance generates most of the revenue needed to run the homeless shelter for another year.
The community loves this event, with its elaborate costumes and skilled acting. But the day before the show, with the bills adding up, Pastor Steve is told his actors—and their costumes—won’t be there.
He’s a man of faith, but he can’t face this. His assistant insists the show must go on—played by the men from the shelter. Can they possibly do an adequate job? Will the audience still donate, or will they leave?
An Unexpected Glory is a short, heartwarming tale of what happens when everything goes wrong—and how sometimes that means everything’s really going right.
Marcia Lee Laycock is a Canadian author and speaker. An Unexpected Glory is one of the novellas in Kathi Macais’ 12 Days of Christmas collection.
[Review copy provided by the author.]
Seeker of Stars is a novella about Melchior, one of the three Wise Men. It’s my favourite Christmas read, and it’s now available on Kindle at