My daughter stole Baby Jesus.
She stole Him from our manger, and He lived with her for an entire Christmas season, mostly in her pocket.
Initially, I wanted that tiny, breakable baby back in the manager. I wanted Him somewhere safe and protected by the Wise Men. I wanted Him next to that sorry-looking sheep whose ear chipped off years ago. I thought Baby Jesus should be returned to His manger because well, that’s where Baby Jesus belongs in a manger, right?
But, as time passed, and I found Baby Jesus in my daughter’s bed, aboard the caboose of the Polar Express, and on the edge of the bathtub, I saw things differently.
See, I started thinking that Jesus was probably happy He was stolen.
Instead of being thought of when someone happened to glance at the Nativity Scene, He was carried around and spoken to often. He was a constant participant in the life of someone He loves, and He felt important and special.
Isn’t it strange how much a tiny, stolen baby Jesus relates to our faith?
Sometimes we want Jesus in a safe, predictable place. We want Him at church when we have time to spend with Him, or during difficult situations, but I’m pretty sure if given the opportunity, He’d love to hang out in our pocket.
Question for you: Tell me about your Nativity Scene. Do you have any stories of missing nativity participants?
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This is a repost from last year, but I thought it relevant because Baby Jesus is missing. I think He might be hanging out in the sandbox or worse, hidden my daughter's closet. I'll keep you posted.
23 comments:
I love this post, Amy.
We have a few wise men that look like a bad Houdini got ahold of them with his saw.
We finished reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson (in the "J" section at your library) for like the xxxth time this week, and yet I'm not tiring of it - and neither are my children. Have you read it with your girls? Your post is a great tie-in with the book for looking at the manager scene differently - absolutely beautiful.
xoxo michele
Michele,
Yes! I love that book, but you know what? My girls haven't read it. Perfect, perfect idea. Can you say stocking stuffer?
I LOVE that she carried baby Jesus with her! And how you related it to our faith... (now I am seriously tempted to go find our nativity scene - which hasn't found its way out of whatever box it's hidden in yet - and hide baby Jesus in my pocket... maybe it would change how I approach the little moments in my day...)
Perhaps a little corny but isn't nice find Him in your daughter's heart, better than ever recovering the symbol. What a great reminder that He fits into our life--whether that is as a tub time companion or an at-the-ready pocket-sized Wonder. He fits, we often just don't see it that way.
oh gosh Amy I can relate to this!I spoke about it in one of my posts last year. My oldest when he was just a baby did the same thing. I asked, "Layton baby Jesus is missing where is he?" He replies with a look of 'I don't want to tell but...' so I coaxed him a little more and told him to tell me. Finally he reaches his little hand down into his pocket and said, "Jesus was cold" I wanted to eat him it was so precious!
I love this!!
So sweet, and also so convicting!
I remember this post, Amy, and I like it just as well the second time! My son always hides Baby Jesus for us until Christmas day. But he takes pride in the fact that no one can find the little bundle. It's a "do not open until Christmas" kind of thing, I guess. :)
Haha, I think that is the standard in a happy home full of kids. Baby Jesus from our nativity goes missing periodically, but is always returned--our young daughter enjoys putting him in her little shopping cart for rides.
good post even if it is a repost! Enjoyed it.
Sharon,
Sometimes as I look through old posts, there are a few that are hard to let go. Thanks for reading.
About two years ago our outside nativity set was stolen from our yard, my husband had built a wooden 'cover' for them to look like a stable and they were nestled in a bale of hay. It snowed and covered all the surrounding ground and the next morning all we saw was footprints across our snowy lawn and Mary Joseph and Jesus was gone. We were left with a donkey in the yard like it was dropped, a lamb and a cow. So the rest of the season we had a missing nativity only animals. We purchased a new set and they are 'chained' to the wooden cover now, too bad we have to do that. I even wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper about our missing holy family.
My son who is a police officer said 'mom the people who took your nativity probably won't be reading the paper'. Well it made me feel better to vent.
Thoughts for the Day,
Holy cow!
I've heard about stories like this, but I've never known anyone who has experienced it! And although your son is probably right about the criminals reading the paper, I'm with you, it does feel good to get it all out and vent a bit.
Sort of sad when you have to chain nativity members down. Sigh.
I find Jesus EVERYWHERE and am so happy to learn that another mother sees the beauty in this metaphor. Since we put the nativity up, He pops up in the car, under the couch, at the park, He is everywhere. What a lovely, lovely lesson.
Maybe the figurine of B.J. is missing, but you, Shane and the girls are "Jesus with skin on" to everyone blessed enough to know you! He is probably hanging out with the LPS peeps. Love you!!
It's funny, isn't it, what they end up taking and calling their own. My son has hijacked an angel, a snowglobe, and a snowman from around the house into his room.
Well....we leave Jesus out on purpose until Christmas morning. Actually, we have little stones and Mary and Joseph travel along, a stone per day, until they arrive at the stable on Christmas Eve. Then, Christmas morning, Jesus is placed in the manger and the set is complete. It's part of the Advent waiting.
Ok, I absolutley love this story about your daughter and the baby Jesus... such a great analogy. Totally convicted by the statement "Sometimes we want Jesus in a safe, predictable place."
Love this story! I'm sure baby Jesus was much happier in her pocket than in the manger.
Great story. So sweet. I love when our children teach us stuff.
"He was a constant participant in the life of someone He loves, and He felt important and special." This sentence makes me smile.
Love that your daughter swiped baby Jesus and love that you were so laid back about it....and respectful of it. Mitchell used to use baby Jesus in the manger as a "car" when he was like two years old. I caught him making revving noises and sliding it on the ground. I don't know, I just instantly put up my hand-held lightning rod and wanted to cross myself even though I'm not Catholic. I made him put Jesus back in the stable. Oops. I sort of wished I had just let him play cars with Jesus after reading this post.
I think I'll steel Jesus, too -- take him all around with me!
For a while last year my friend had a light-up Jesus in her backseat -- she was going to put him by her tree, but she decided she liked having him ride around with her in the car. Same idea, though not as precious, as your story of your daughter. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written post.
Awesome post! Such a sweet image and poignant truth. I have a special glass nativity that is kept up high, but my kids have a veggie tale nativity under the tree. It cracks me up to see Larry the cucumber dressed up as a wise man! My daughter hasn't stolen a baby Jesus but for days she's walked around with a towel on her head and a swaddled Belle doll. If I call her by her name she's apt to say "I'm Mary, mudder!" I love it, that's better than playing princess any day!
at one point our baby jesus was riding in a toy dump truck. my sister's baby jesus was in the mail ~~~ long story. she met a jewish girl at the hospital last year and friended her on facebook to "make sure she had some jesus in her life". this past christmas she posted that she was putting up her first christmas tree, and decorating it with skulls, old earrings and buddhas. sister asked if she would like a baby jesus to add to the mix and then mailed her baby jesus and mary and joseph also. when they came home for christmas she called her friend and invited her to church ~ she came and even went to lunch with our family afterwards. who knows what will happen next?
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