| Thursday, December 07, 2006 |
| The Missing Baby Jesus |
 Melli from Insanity Prevails asked: "I remember reading in another post about your missing baby tradition... HOW did that get started? WHY does this happen? I'm having a REALLY hard time figuring out the symbolism in this one...."
For Katie's first Christmas my Mother bought her the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set as pictured above. She loves it today just as much as she did then and was so exited when she spotted it, remembered it and jumped for joy when I brought it out with our other Christmas Decorations this year.
That first Christmas she played with the Manger Scene all of the time and we somehow managed to loose the Baby Jesus. I looked everywhere for him, in places high and in places low, and those places where only a toddler can go.
Still no Baby Jesus, until Christmas morning when I just so happened to be sitting on the living room floor opening gifts. It was only at this Childlike level when I was able to find Baby Jesus who was either knocked or pushed over and under the corner of our entertainment center.
Katie, of course was busy unwrapping presents and having such a ball doing so that she didn't notice when I took a bit of ripped off wrapping paper and a bow and wrapped up Baby Jesus and sat him under the tree. Of all of the expensive and well thought out presents Katie received that morning. None brought her as much joy as when she unwrapped the missing Baby Jesus. She was so happy and quickly went over to the Little People Nativity Scene and placed Him in the manger.
It's a memory I want to cherish and never forget so I started the tradition. Jesus is the reason for the season first and foremost. Plus, it's His birthday and He really shouldn't be hanging around in the manger scene before His scheduled debut. As for the symbolism and metaphoric view, Jesus is the gift of Grace that through faith we are saved. The best gift of all when you are able to find Him and receive Him.
So now our new tradition is to have Jesus go mysteriously missing before Christmas. Nobody knows who does it, sometimes not even me. Whoever does do it, must take great care to wrap Him creatively - sometimes in the biggest box you can find or like last year when I slipped Him into a gifted coffee mug I bought for Gon. Who ever receives Baby Jesus as a gift is the one who sits down beside us and tells us the Christmas Morning Story and leads us in thankful prayer. It's a tradition I hope to keep going so it can pass down through the years. For if ever I were to have a Christmas Wish it would be that all of my children, grandchildren and family would come to know and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior so they can live free and in peace. |
Stumble It!
.......posted by Margaret @ 11:52 PM   |
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| 4 Comments: |
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Margie... that is absolutely AWESOME! And now that I know the story and how it all began, AND know the symbolism that you've placed on it, I just LOVE it! That is such a NEAT and UNIQUE tradition -- and you SHOULD keep it and carry it through! Boy... your kids will have a time explaining that one to THEIR partners someday though! (you do WHAT???) LOL!
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What a wonderful tradition..
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My mother-in-law used to do that. My wife did it when the kids were younger. I never saw or heard of it being done before about 16 years ago.
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Margie... that is absolutely AWESOME! And now that I know the story and how it all began, AND know the symbolism that you've placed on it, I just LOVE it! That is such a NEAT and UNIQUE tradition -- and you SHOULD keep it and carry it through! Boy... your kids will have a time explaining that one to THEIR partners someday though! (you do WHAT???) LOL!