No Room in the Stable?

Posted by Rhodema | 0 comments

My five-year-old son, Ryan, insisted on helping me decorate the house for Christmas. He carted assorted red and green plastic boxes into the den. I cleared a shelf down low and told Ryan he could be in charge of the kids’ Nativity set. He tore into the box I pointed out and mismatched tissue wrapping began flying through the air. He set each piece on the shelf, lined up like Nascar competitors until he found the one he wanted at the bottom of the box.

“It’s the Baby Jesus!” Ryan shouted as he placed Him lovingly in the center of the shelf and proceeded to give Him a roof with the addition of the stable. He placed Mary and Joseph next.

I got a kick out of watching my son’s enthusiasm and unbridled joy, until his artistic license got a little extreme. He stuffed every single remaining piece of the manger set into the stable.

“Son, don’t you think it’s getting a little crowded in the barn?”

“Mom, they love Baby Jesus. They didn’t travel all that way to stand around in the yard; they want to be near Him.” Ryan stomped his foot and threw his hands in the air.

He had me there. My son seemed to grasp the meaning of the season better than I did. It was all about Jesus–not my perfect decorations. Over the years, my husband and I have worked to make Jesus central to our Christmas celebration. Santa, trees, and gifts are stiff competition to this goal.

Santa is seen in our home decorations but I tell my children about the first St. Nicholas. A favorite book to read is Saint Nicholas:  The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer and Chris Ellison.  St. Nicholas is a great example of a godly man who shared the love of Jesus with the poor.

Focusing on giving is a great antidote to the “gimmies.” We bake and decorate holiday platters or loaves to give to neighbors, pastors, and piano teachers. We participate in community drives for toys and food.  My children become as excited about shopping or baking for others as they are about what they’ll find under the tree for themselves.

We have a collection of ornaments that represent the names of Jesus. Beginning when my children are little, we talk about these ornaments as we hang them on the branches. Making a set with your children can be fun and instructive. We have several Nativity sets in our home–including a sturdy one for little hands. Kids love to play and reenact the events of the night Jesus was  born. We made Nativity sets with craft items such as pipe cleaners, felt, and beads. One year we cut out sets from card stock and each child folded the paper into their own Nativity sets.

Every child understands birthday cakes. One tradition my mother started with her first grandchild was to bake a cake for Jesus. We light candles and sing”Happy  Birthday” to Jesus and talk about the present we want to give Him. Christmas is an opportunity to shine the light of Christ in our neighborhoods, our homes and our children’s hearts.

What special traditions in your home keep Jesus the center of the holidays?

Rhodema Cargill lives the parenting adventure with Calvin, her college sweetheart. They have two adult daughters and two teenagers still at home, a girl and a boy. Their homeschool style is eclectic with a great love of living history books. Rhodema is a freelance writer and speaker. Visit with her on her blog: MommyLife.