(this story has been updated and repeated from last year)
Our three year old granddaughter loves baby Jesus. She loves him with an audacious love that lets the world know just how much she loves him. She has a purse she carries at our house that she puts the people from the nativity in and takes them out every time she sits down to show whoever is nearby.
One night last year, she asked me to go to the playroom with her, while there she got out all of her nativity set and proceeded to put them on the bed.
“Here is baby Jesus, the Lambie,” she said as she pulled each one out of her purse. “Here is the Yoseph, the donkey and this is His mommy Larry,” she happily introduced each one to me.
“Who is His mommy?” I asked trying not to giggle.
“Larry. See right here,” she said putting ‘Larry’ right in my face so I could understand who she was.
I love that she is so delighted by the story of baby Jesus. I love that she carries them all around in her purse. And I love that she knows the names of the people and who they are to baby Jesus, even though Mary has become “Larry” in her 2 year old language.
“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Ahh, the faith of a child. Our granddaughter loves baby Jesus, she is happy to talk about him to anyone that will listen, and clearly not at all inhibited by getting any details wrong. She just loves Him purely as she sings about her Savior. She has so much joy in worshipping Jesus so completely.
As we age, we lose a little bit of that complete joy somewhere. The daily grind of work, bills and other responsibilities enter our lives and that joy loses just a little bit of luster. We let the busyness of life keep us from enjoying Jesus and the wonder of His birth completely.
Watching Lanie, I have to wonder, how can I possibly not feel the complete awe and wonder that my Savior chose to leave the perfection of his holy throne in heaven where all of glory surrounded Him? He came down to a completely broken world where there wasn’t even a room for Him. When did I forget that my King, who sat at the right hand of God came as a sweet little baby so that I could spend eternity with Him? How can I not want to carry baby Jesus in my purse and share Him with everyone I see?
“For unto us a child is born, His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
This Christmas season I vow to bask in this most amazing gift, to remember this season is filled with the wonder of a Savior who loves me enough to leave His comfy home knowing He was coming to face a devastating death so that you and I would have the chance to live with Him for all eternity. I want to sit in awe of this baby Jesus and the wonder of how He is also my Savior and King. I want to shout to the world who Jesus is.
I invite you to carry baby Jesus in your purse this week as we celebrate more than a baby, we celebrate the full glory of our Savior.
"The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
