Dear Reader:

I came across another story by author, Sue Kidd Monk, who was remembering her relationship with nativity mangers, at Christmas, as a child and then later…. from a different perspective as an adult. (www.sermons.com)

Sue Monk Kidd, in one of her books, recalls her youth and how she would prepare for Christmas. In early December, she would sit by the wooden nativity set clustered under their Christmas tree and think over the last year of her life. She would think deeply about Christmas and the coming of Jesus.

She remembers, one time, visiting a monastery. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas. As she passed a monk walking outside, she greeted him with, “Merry Christmas.” The monk’s response caught her off guard a bit. “May Christ be born in you,” he replied.

His words seemed strange and peculiar at the time. What did he mean, “May Christ be born in you?” At the time she was unsure of what he meant, but now all these years later, sitting beside the Christmas tree, she felt the impact of his words. She discovered that Advent is a time of spiritual preparation. It is also a time of transformation. It is “discovering our soul and letting Christ be born from the waiting heart.”

………………………….

I love the idea of the “waiting” part of Advent being located in our hearts and souls. Fertile ground for the birth of Christ in us.

Chrissie, my wonderful young friend and physical therapist, was telling me yesterday about all the nativity scenes she has at her home. She has one  six year old son, Noah, who adores playing with all of them…the older ones that have been passed down in the family, then the newer ones like the “Lego” manger…the “Charlie Brown” nativity scene…(Chrissie thinks Woodstock portrays the Baby Jesus in that one).No matter the look or time period…Noah becomes the guardian for the mangers each Christmas.

 He checks each one to make sure all the figurines, including the animals, are all tucked in each evening and accounted for…before going to bed. The other night he was having a hard time getting to sleep and called down to Chrissie that he forgot to tuck Baby Jesus in with the soft white blanket….it did buy him about two or three more minutes of freedom.

I remember too…loving to look at the mangers in my aunts and uncles’ homes every Christmas….every relative had a different nativity scene…I could have played with them all day and been perfectly content. Like Noah…I loved playing with Baby Jesus and was very protective of Him when my brothers drew near. (I was afraid he might get recruited to play “army men.”…out in the back yard )

I don’t know what eventually happened to mother’s nativity scene.. it simply faded away I reckon over time. Every year I think I will start collecting figurines for a keepsake nativity scene to pass down…but I never seem to do it.

So last year when I mentioned that to Doodle and Lassie, while touring the creches at Mepkin Abby…friends and family dropped off the most unique creches….just perfect for me in my Happy Room.

 I actually bought this little compact manger scene at the gift shop at Mepkin Abby last year. Here are some more given to me as gifts by family and friends.

 Another unique Madonna and Child  (from Honey) and the next manger scene spells HOPE…which pretty well sums it up…don’t you think?

So until tomorrow…When I look at these three reasons for the season…I love the thought  that Christ is born in each of them…in their hearts and souls!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh