Anyone who has spent time with me during this season knows that decorating for Christmas has always been at the top of my to-do list. My excitement for the holidays is rarely contained beyond my September birthday. This allows me to fully enjoy the twinkling lights and adorned rooms for months on end.

My love of the holidays dates back to childhood as my sisters and I helped our mom prepare a Christmas inspired theme for each room of our home. 

Each year, surrounded by traditional imagery, sat a handcrafted manger scene atop our television that was given as a gift from dad, to mom. He had constructed a barn with hay, placed handrails around the outside platform, and burned the wood to make it look rustic. 

Year after year, we would carefully display the treasured scene with mom’s nativity collection as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. 

When the time came to “deck the halls” this season, I was less than excited. This year has been extremely difficult and the thought of decorating felt daunting. In an effort to muster up some holiday spirit, I placed a 12 inch tree on a table that I remove daily to avoid attacks from our youngest feline.

We filled our December calendar with family traditions, and a few new activities to distract our minds from events that once filled our busy schedule this time of year.

Ryan received a text one evening asking if my parents could bring an early Christmas present. While we quickly tidied up the living room, my mind started churning, trying to guess what they could possibly deliver. As they entered our home, I could see my dad carrying something large and tears stung my eyes upon recognition.  He placed before me a wooden base and a stone-like Inn with a cave carved in the back. As he set the piece on the floor, mom positioned Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus inside. 

I was instantly taken back to the years we shared when I was a young girl and we had lovingly displayed the reason we celebrate this holiday.

“While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

(Luke 2:6-7, NLT)

Dad had delivered two other manger scenes this year to my sisters, each unique in style. He joked about the manner in which they were built after a recent sermon, but all I saw in mine was perfection. 

To me it didn’t matter if it was the exact scale model of the manger Mary and Joseph rested their heads the night Jesus entered the world. Rather, it represented the last 39 years of life where my parents sought to make Jesus the main thing! 

From giving and serving others throughout the season, to reenacting The Nativity with family on Christmas Eve, their sole purpose has been to point our family to Jesus. 

As I sat hours later admiring my dad’s labor of love that now sits in the place where my scrawny tree once stood, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Yet again, in my sadness, this sweet gift pointed me back to Jesus.

For every ounce of hardship we’ve faced this year, God has provided someone or something to fulfill our every need. His faithfulness through our journey gives me HOPE for brighter days to come! 

In this week before Christmas, my heart and mind should not be focused on the difficulty of life but rather the peace found in and through Christ! 

This Christmas and future celebrations may look different, but the God whom I have come to adore will ALWAYS remain the same.

O come let us adore Him, o come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

(Luke 2:9-14, NASB)

My prayer for you precious reader, is that you find peace, hope, and encouragement as you celebrate the birth of our Savior!