The Christmas season is upon us! So many memories are made at this time of year. There is nothing more precious than to see the face of a child light up when they experience different activities during this season. Let me share with you one of those moments which God showed with me!
At the corner of Virginia Avenue and 4th street here in Clarksville, there is a “pocket park” which is a small open grassy area used for various purposes of the town throughout the year. During the Christmas season, the nativity scene is placed there, complete with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus; 1 shepherd; 3 wisemen; and some animals. Very nice display.
As I turned the car onto Virginia Avenue, I glanced at the nativity and saw a young mother and her small son. She was dressed in a stylish, red dress. It was apparent that she was expecting another child. However, after I was on Virginia Avenue, I saw the little boy, probably 3-4 years old, standing within the nativity scene and having a close encounter with one of the sheep. Mom was watching intently as he experienced this entire scene.
Unfortunately, I had to continue down the street, but this scene stayed with me for several hours. So many questions came to me. What was he telling his Mom about these figures? Was she explaining them to him or did he already know about who they were? Was he talking to the animals or the figures? Oh, how I wish I could have been standing right next to the stable, watching and listening in.
How many of us have the opportunity to interact with Mary and Joseph or the wisemen or the shepherd? Are there questions you would want to ask them, such as what did it really feel like when the angel told the shepherd about the baby who would save the world? How long did the wisemen study that star before following it? And how did they know what town the star was hovering over? For Mary and Joseph, how were they treated in Nazareth after people realized that Mary was pregnant and not by Joseph? What was it like for their families during this time? Did anyone really believe them when the truth was explained?
Look at these pictures. I know the figures are not real, but in the mind of a small child, they could be. What would we do or say if we had an encounter with those in this scene? Would we believe any differently than we do now? Would our faith be changed, strengthened?
So many questions I have. I can only wonder how glorious it would be to interact with each of them. Thank you, God, for this quick glance you gave me! Thank you for the lives of this mother and her son. I wonder how You will use this time for them? Will their lives be changed from this experience or their faith strengthened?
The word “wonderment” means “a state of reverence or adoration; a cause of or occasion for wonder” (Miriam-Webster Dictionary). That is just what God showed me in those brief seconds.
Thank you for the wonderment of a child seeing the birth of your Son! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for stopping by,
Rachel
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