December 9
Favorite moment of the day: all my kids singing “Away in a Manger” and “Silent Night” at
practice tonight. I can’t wait
until the program Sunday morning!
“Away
in a manger, no crib for a bed.”
Those of us with children spend months getting ready for that new little
bundle of joy to arrive. The
nursery has to be perfect, the bedding has to be soft, the color scheme has to
be soothing and the art must be nurturing and educational yet cute and sweet
for the newborn. But Mary and
Joseph had none of that. We
decorate with cute giraffes, elephants, and ladybugs. He was born amongst live goats, sheep, and donkeys. We make the nursery smell nice with air
fresheners, carpet cleaning, and scented candles. He was surrounded with the odors of a barn and stinky
animals.
It sure puts things into perspective. When I get angry or jealous because I can’t give the best to
my children, I think of Jesus. He
didn’t have a perfect nursery, the best electronic toys, or go to the best
preschool. He didn’t have the name
brand clothes, a car at sixteen, or even an Ivy-league education. He walked among the least of society,
hung out with people we wouldn’t dare let our children hang out with today, and
visited places we would not go ourselves.
And He did it all for us.
When things get hard and I ask myself “How can I
live this way?” or “What am I going to do?” I think about Jesus and his humble
beginning. I think about his life
and the things he didn’t have yet all
he was able to do for others.
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