THE GIFT
(Stephanie Davis)

Garth Brooks - 1992
Stephanie Davis - 1998




A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For it's feathers were covered with sand 
But soon clean and wrapped it was travelling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand 

She happily spent her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time 

Now the Christmas Eve service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the townfolks brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds and incense and perfumes
In packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring 

She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him 

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
"Maria, what brings you to me
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door and let me see"
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new 

Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
Whose beauty was fit for a king 

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offering was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song 









(Contributed by  - December 2009)