Lily's Secret

By Cindy Tingley

This is the story of a little donkey named Lily, who has a secret! One day Lily is visited by an angel, who tells her of a child, a Saviour, who will be born and Lily is the one chosen to take his mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph, to Bethlehem.

Lily is frightened because she’s been told she’s too little to do any

• Language: English
• Publisher: OC Publishing
• Release date: Dec 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9780995284173

Cindy Tingley

Author Cindy Tingley was born in a little village in New Brunswick called Point de Bute near the Nova Scotia border where she lived for 16 years. She moved around New Brunswick during her high school years finally settling in Fredericton. After high school Tingley met and settled down with her partner and for many years they ran a farm, produced lumber, and raised their own beef while working on rural community development projects. She remembers being interested and excited about writing as early as eight years old but life was busy and writing only became a priority in more recent years. She began writing the Lily series of children's bible stories almost fifteen years ago and feels now is the time to re-ignite the message of bringing peace to a fractured world. Lily's Secret, launched in 2017, is the first in the series; Lily's Desert Adventure, the second, launched in 2019; and the third, Lily's Egypt Adventure, launches in 2022. Tingley has lived in Halifax since November 2013. Along with writing every day, she likes to drum, sing (she was with the You Gotta Sing Chorus in Halifax for 4 years), walk and hang out with good people who raise her up.

Book preview

Chapter 1

As Lily and her brothers munched on breakfast one morning it was just like any other day, but tiny, gentle Lily, the baby of the family, felt a definite change in the air. Her long, grey, furry ears twitched in the soft morning breeze.

Cocoa and Max, her two brothers, were very big and strong. They were always chosen to carry heavy cargo whenever people needed them.

Greta, the oldest, was the pride of the family for she was the mother of many fine baby donkeys that would carry on the family line. Then there was Lily. Mama and Papa were always fussing over her because she was so little and the weakest of the herd. It had been decided before she was very old that she would stay home and look after them in their old age. After all, she was too tiny to do much else.

So, she agreed. Yet there was a quiet excitement growing in her heart. She remembered, when she was very young, an angel had told her of an extra special baby who was coming soon for all mankind. He told her that she would have a very important part in this baby’s life.

Lily had always listened to her heart. Unlike the rest of her family, she was a dreamer. And since that first visit, she continued to talk to the angels. After all, it was widely known that her grandfather, Ezra, had seen one in the middle of the road one day. He veered off the path and tumbled into a field. Ever since Lily had heard that story, she felt very close to him. She wondered if he had known about the baby who was coming. She would have a special job to do, but there was no one she could share her secret with. The rest of her family seemed to have lost their animal–angel talk.

Lily stretched and smiled when she thought of the big angel named Gabriel who had slowly and silently descended from above. His mighty wings glistened in the sun as he stood in the field where Lily loved to run, jump and play. He had told her that soon, God would need her.

But, she stammered. I’m not pretty like Greta, or strong like Cocoa and Max.

Little Lily, you have a loving heart and that’s why God needs you, the angel replied.

You have devotion and you follow your heart. You are a dreamer, Lily, and He needs you to make the impossible happen. He smiled down at her and continued. You know about this baby and you’ve been chosen for a great and holy mission. Be ready, Lily, for your whole life is about to change.

He told her what her mission would be, and then, in a flash of light, Gabriel left. Try telling that to Mama and Papa, she thought. How will I fulfill this mission?

She heard hoof beats and turned to see Cocoa and Max. She started to run towards them so fast that she almost tripped over her own hooves.

Cocoa, Max! You’re home!

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