We have a fun tradition in our house. When we display our Nativity Scene before Christmas, we do not put baby Jesus in the manger. Callie and I "hide" him somewhere special until Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, we rise with joyous expectation to find baby Jesus newly in his manger. Last year, we added another fun twist to our tradition. Some friends of ours here in Hawaii turn their Nativity into a living journey! During the weeks before Christmas, the wise men, Mary and Joseph "travel" through the house as they make their way toward "Jerusaleum." One day, Mary and Joseph may be in the bathroom--the next, above the kitchen sink. By the week before Christmas, they are usually located in the living room, ready to make their way to the stable on Christmas Eve. We did this last year and had so much fun that our traveling Nativity is back for it's second round this Christmas. (We even have the wise men showing up a few days later.)
Even though displaying our Nativity is lots of fun, I was giving it some thought earlier today. I was listening to the song "One True God" by Mike Harris on the radio. Here are a few of the lyrics:
I don't have a God I can put on a stand
Or a God I hold in the palm of my hand
I have a God that's holding me
And I don't have a God that I can create
In the place I live with the money I make
I have a God, He made everything
So I don't need a temporary man made deity
When I got the real thing
I got the real thing
As Christians, we've got more than a little ceramic figure hiding in a box. Yes, it is fun and it is a great way to add another piece of the story into our Christmas celebrations, but it's not the REAL THING. The Real Thing is GOD coming down to earth and giving us the best gift possible in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins is bigger than any tradition we can humanly create. I am freshly convicted this season on just how I can show others this passion of God. I can do that by letting Him use me supernaturally to show the love of Jesus to my family and to those I meet over the next few days. I can make my christianity personal to those who need Jesus. Aside from all the gift giving and merry wishing, I can make our Nativity the Real Thing as I allow Jesus to make His own journey through my heart to those He wants to reach through me.
Even though displaying our Nativity is lots of fun, I was giving it some thought earlier today. I was listening to the song "One True God" by Mike Harris on the radio. Here are a few of the lyrics:
I don't have a God I can put on a stand
Or a God I hold in the palm of my hand
I have a God that's holding me
And I don't have a God that I can create
In the place I live with the money I make
I have a God, He made everything
So I don't need a temporary man made deity
When I got the real thing
I got the real thing
As Christians, we've got more than a little ceramic figure hiding in a box. Yes, it is fun and it is a great way to add another piece of the story into our Christmas celebrations, but it's not the REAL THING. The Real Thing is GOD coming down to earth and giving us the best gift possible in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins is bigger than any tradition we can humanly create. I am freshly convicted this season on just how I can show others this passion of God. I can do that by letting Him use me supernaturally to show the love of Jesus to my family and to those I meet over the next few days. I can make my christianity personal to those who need Jesus. Aside from all the gift giving and merry wishing, I can make our Nativity the Real Thing as I allow Jesus to make His own journey through my heart to those He wants to reach through me.
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1 comment:
This is a great post Mel! Hallelujah that we have the real thing! I miss you!
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