It’s almost the month of December. The time for festivities and family.
Every year we set up an outside nativity for the yard; using a wooden stable built by my husband.
Our original set of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus was stolen out of our yard one year.
It had snowed and there were foot prints all across the front yard where someone walked across it.
They dropped the little sheep and left the cow. So we had an empty stable that year.
I guess that is pretty symbolic of the story, Jesus was missing.
At this time of year often times, He IS missing. People focus on Santa and parties and food to eat.
Jesus remains an important part of the story in fact HE IS the story.
The reason for the season but He is often forgotten.
I was very upset to think someone would steal our nativity.
Then I even wrote a letter to the editor in our local newspaper.
My son was a police officer at the time and he said to me, “mom whoever stole your nativity is not going to read your letter.” Probably true but it made me feel better.
After that Christmas was over I got on line and found a nice outside set on a discount price.
Replacing the cute child like faces that we had before.
I still look at that nativity with a different viewpoint. Someone stole ours.
I didn’t let it steal my feelings for the holiday or desire to decorate. It just was sad.
We had to make sure the new one would not be stolen so my husband now chains together with a lock.
How sad, but we had to figure something out. You can’t see the chain when it’s displayed.
It is just a reality that nothing is safe. I prayed for the person who stole our set.
I wanted them to be blessed and to know that when they display it at their house, the message is still true.
Christmas is about the nativity. It is the story of the season and always will be.