Before we left for home for the holidays, I was teaching my students the Christmas story. My younger students colored a nativity scene and we used it to help learn the character vocabulary. It amazed me that out of all the characters, even they, with their limited knowledge and understanding, found such delight in Baby Jesus. I would ask them to hold it up and there was often much disputing about who would have that privilege in their groups.
It reminded me of many years of setting up our nativity scene at home; looking through the tissue paper-wrapped figurines, anxiously awaiting the appearance of the Baby. We'd often find an item about the right size, only to discover that it was a little sheep or donkey. Those were exciting too - but they weren't Baby Jesus. They weren't the most important, the Most High.
No matter what each Baby Jesus is made out of, whether beautifully carved wood or paper, glue, and crayons - He brings a sense of wonder to children. Does His life, His purpose, His story - does Christ Himself - inspire the same sense of wonder in us, as adults? Do we delight in Him? Do we search diligently for Him amidst the tissue paper of our lives, seeking to find Him and bring Him into our hearts each day? Do we color Him beautifully when we talk about Him and present Him to others? Perhaps the wonder of the Christmas story isn't just the history of the birth; rather, maybe its the timeless lessons we learn - to believe in the impossible (the virgin birth), to seek diligently (as the shepherds did), to follow wholeheartedly (after the example of the wise men), and delight in the will of God, no matter the cost it presents to us, as Joseph & Mary did - and to do all in humility, not expecting but nonetheless receiving the greater blessing.
With a baby on the way, the Christmas story has taken on new meaning for me this year and I pray the same for you - that the wonder could be real and that God would be glorified. Blessings on your Christmas!
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