Dec
9
2019
Little Hearts Can Handle Truth
Posted in Christmas 2 Comments
My two older daughters came over for dinner.
My granddaughter was here as well.
She has not been here since we decorated for Christmas a week ago.
She was enthralled with everything she saw.
She looked at the Nutcracker that is the same height as her.
My oldest daughter made the Nutcracker talk.
She was a bit skeptical about his moving mouth, but she was still intrigued.
It is so wonderful to see Christmas through the eyes of a child.
We sat on the floor in the living room, under the Christmas tree.
My granddaughter looked at each ornament, enjoying the ones with bells the most.
My daughters and I talked about ornaments that everyone had made.
We laughed about something that happened years ago.
My daughter, who is now a mother herself, noticed that she did not have a lot of ornaments.
Many that she had made me over the years were fragile, macaroni angels or painted clay ones.
As my children decorated the tree each year, inevitably some ornaments would get broken.
This particular year, she saw her last remaining homemade ornament in the bin.
Someone picked it up to put it on the tree and it slipped out of their hand.
The last handmade ornament was in pieces on the floor.
There were some tears.
However, there were other special ornaments that she got to put on the tree.
There is something about a family Christmas tree.
There is something about seeing the crooked, mismatched ornaments that mean so much.
Those things are part of the family history.
No professionally decorated tree can match the sweetness of the tree that tells a story.
I love looking at each decoration and remembering the story behind it.
Those memories chronicle our family.
Those things tell our story.
Those things cannot be bought or replaced.
I still have my manger from when I was a girl.
The camel’s long legs have been glued many times.
Baby Jesus’ paint is fading from being handled by so many little fingers.
My children grew up looking at and learning about the Christmas Story from that manger.
When my children were little, I bought a Fisher Price Nativity set.
It had larger figures for little hands.
Even though batteries can be placed inside to light the star, we never inserted them.
Imaginative play, as they each learned the Christmas story, was best.
I got that Nativity set out for my granddaughter.
Her mommy and daddy are telling her the Story of Jesus.
They use their Nativity set as a way to teach about Jesus as she holds each piece.
They had just sent a video of her answering their questions, ever so quietly
Can you tell me what the Wise Men brought Baby Jesus? My daughter asked.
Gold, my granddaughter said in a whisper.
Good, job, what else? My daughter prompted.
Sense, my granddaughter said in her little 18-month-old voice.
What else? My daughter asked one last time.
Myrrh, she answered quietly.
That’s right; those are the gifts they gave Baby Jesus, my daughter said.
And then what did they do? She asked.
The video ended.
I never knew what else they did.
I never knew what else my granddaughter had learned about this story.
That is until she came over for dinner.
The Nativity set was on the floor.
My daughter is teaching her sweet little girl that Jesus is King.
When the Wise Men came to Jesus, they recognized Him as a King.
They brought gifts to Him that would have been appropriate for a King.
I looked and saw the Wise Men all laying down.
Their faces were on the rug.
They were right in front of the manger.
They were bowing down.
My little granddaughter learned that you bow down before a King.
Jesus is King.
The Wise Men bowed down to Him.
I was so touched by her simple gesture.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)
Children are never too young to learn Truth.
In fact, children are the best receptors of Truth, since in their innocence, they accept it.
Adults will explain Truth away.
Adults will give all sorts of reasons why it could not have happened that way.
No wonder, Jesus said to become like a little child.
To see the Christmas Story through a child’s eyes is such an incredible blessing.
The wonder in their eyes is actually a challenge to us grownups.
Have we lost our wonder?
Are we so busy with our perfect Christmas that we have forgotten the simplicity of Jesus’ birth?
Christmas, through the eyes of a child, is filled with wonder and amazement.
That is actually the response of the shepherds.
Simple men, out in the field at night, receiving an incredible message.
Bowing down is the posture of Christmas.
At least it should be.
Please thank sweet Ella for this precious reminder!
I will, friend.
I will thank her Mommy, too!
Gina