“Grandmama,” my 7-year-old granddaughter said on a recent afternoon at my house, “I’m so glad you let us play with your Nativity set. We have one at home, but my daddy bought it in Israel, so he doesn’t let us play with it.”
Every Christmas, the first thing Ava does when she comes in our house is to head straight to the Nativity set. She sets it up on the floor, the hearth, or on our coffee table, and soon, baby Jesus is carefully placed in the manger, the angel flies through the air, and the camels, donkey and sheep clip-clop their way to the stable.
All six of our grandchildren love playing with it. And before them, their daddies did the same. I purposely bought a set that wasn’t breakable because I wanted my children to be intimately familiar with the Christmas story. It’s beautiful, but the resin figurines have been with our family for more than 30 years now, and they’ve stood the test of time…and lots of little hands.
But I always give one warning as the little ones start to move the set off the table where I’ve placed it, “Don’t lose Jesus!”
Three of my grandchildren spent the morning with me today. A little while ago as I walked past the coffee table where Eden had left the manger pieces, God whispered to my heart, “Don’t lose Jesus!”
In the midst of multiple responsibilities, a book deadline, shopping, wrapping, baking, laundry, cleaning (and on and on) it’s easy to lose Jesus—the real reason for the season.
Today is His birthday, a time to celebrate the greatest gift of love that’s ever been given. So I’m sharing God’s message that He impressed on my heart: Don’t lose Jesus.
Let’s set aside some time today to worship Him. To thank Him for what He’s done for us. To express our gratitude for the blessings He’s given us—family, a home, food on our tables, people who love us, and the list could go on and on.
And dear God, as the years go by, whenever my precious grandchildren see a Nativity set, whisper that important message from You and from me: Don’t lose Jesus!
