Our nativity scene is one of our most treasured Christmas decorations. It was made and painted by my grandmother many years ago when she had a ceramic shop. It is the kids’ job to set it out and it is an event at my house!
Every year, since they were very small, the kids have raced and yes, sometimes even fought, over finding baby Jesus! Not the camels, cow, or donkey and not the wisemen, shepherds or parents, but baby Jesus has always been the most prized find!
The pieces are stored in a box and over the years the box has transitioned from an old worn out cardboard box to currently, a sturdy plastic container with a lid. Each item is wrapped in old newspaper and nestled together inside the stable. The stable, which I have never replaced, husband built for me over 20 years ago. When Granny gave me the nativity, we were broke; I mean broke. But husband cut up some wood and made a stable. I’m sure there are prettier out there somewhere but not in my eyes!
Every Christmas the hunt is on as the pieces of the nativity are pulled out carefully. Not a word is said as each child carefully works their way through the box unwrapping characters; all of this while searching for Him. They never truly say it out loud, lest they remind their siblings what the real desire is! Eventually, someone yells that they are the winner; they have found the baby Jesus!
This year was no different. Two near-grown kids plundered through the box with one less sibling to beat. I waited in the kitchen listening for the announcement, it didn’t take long and I wasn’t disappointed! Our youngest son quickly yelled, “I found Him! I got Him first!” He was thrilled. He had beaten his sister to the prize and declared himself the winner! She just about had to make him finish helping her set everything else out.
He had found the most important part, and nothing else mattered!
He found Jesus!
What a lesson! It’s not about the stable, the animals or anything else. Yes, all of the parts make up the story and what a wonderful story it is. But… baby Jesus is the most important part! Without that baby, nothing else matters. Without Him, that stable, those shepherds and wisemen are just everyday and ordinary. They have no meaning. But add Jesus into the picture and it is so extraordinary!
Finding Jesus is everything and so much more!
This year has been one for the record books and the words of our mouths, yes, mine too, have been full of the horrors, sadness, and even wishing the year away. But if we could just fumble through it all, if we could dig past everything, and search for what matters the most, we will find Him. We will find Jesus in the middle of it all!
Will you join my family this year in finding Jesus? We are carefully focusing our words, our thoughts and our hearts on Him. We are pushing past the newspaper and other things in the box that are distractions from the true focus. He is not just the focus of this holiday season. He is not just the focus of this year but he is to be the center of our lives. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight. “Ps 19:14
We found Him!
We found Him in the loss of a love one. We found Him in the slowdown of the year. We found Him in the normal busyness of life. We found Him in the protection of an accident. We found Him in every smile, every hug, every laugh.
He’s present. Just because this year has looked bleak and has included fear, doubt and sadness, He hasn’t changed, neither has He hidden Himself. Maybe, just maybe, if it seems He isn’t present, it is because we haven’t looked for Him. His Word promises that “if you seek me, you will find me!” Jeremiah 29:13
We will join with the shepherds and not only find Him, we will tell others! That is the entire point of finding Him, telling others!
We found Him! Have you?
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202&version=NKJV
Beautiful! “…..oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”