{my graphics are free goodies for you}
It seems every nativity set comes with a story. Maybe it’s an heirloom full of memories, a special purchase on an outing that brings back a cocoa-scented moment, a relic from childhood with beloved dust in the cracks, a gift from a friend that came in a package with a red bow on top.
I pull my nativity set from the box, releasing it from its blanket of bubble wrap. The pieces are ceramic. Pure white. The donkey is missing half an ear. It belonged to my grandmother and every year I think of her when I set it on my shelf.
She had polio at age twenty-eight and spent most of her years in a wheelchair. I loved the patterns her wheels left in the carpet, like a trail to somewhere secret and magical.
A pastor came to visit her in the hospital. He said, “Frances, this can make you bitter or better.” She would always say, with a twinkle in her eyes, “I choose better.” I run my fingers across the baby in the manger as I tell myself this story again. The Jesus in this nativity will always mean hope to me because of it.
What I love about nativities is that Jesus is unique in each one. In my nativity He is hope and to someone else He might be a reminder of peace and to you He could be comfort and joy. Oh, who He is doesn’t change. But how His love reveals itself in our lives is different in each of our hearts, each of our homes. This is beautiful to me. A kind of Christmas mystery that I will never fully understand on this spinning, broken earth.
I arrange the pieces of the nativity. I step back and smile. Then I set Jesus at the center, exactly where He should be.
When you think of Jesus, what’s a word that comes to mind like “hope” does for me?
XOXO
Holley Gerth
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Speaking of hope… my new devotional Hope Your Heart Needs is half off at Barnes & Noble for a limited time!
You want the new year to be different, to beat discouragement, to truly believe you’re loved and have new strength for whatever is ahead. I understand because I’ve been there too. Writing Hope Your Heart Needs changed my life and reading it will change yours too (it also makes a great little gift). 2019 really can be better.
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Note: The last Let’s Have Coffee link-up here will be on December 25th. I’m freeing up some time and energy to work on some exciting new things for you. Sue at Welcome Heart will graciously be hosting Let’s Have Coffee starting January 2nd you can link up there!
You’re invited to join the “Let’s Have Coffee” link-up! Simply write a post that has the kind of encouragement you’d share with a friend over coffee (the link-up goes live at 5:30am CT every Wednesday, and you can view the Link-Up Guidelines here). Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
After you link-up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked just before yours. Thanks, friends!
{Want to share a word of encouragement on Twitter? Click this link and then tweet!}
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Your grandma was a strong, wise woman. Thank you for hosting the link up, Holley. Good luck with your endeavors.
Love this – every nativity tells a story. Our story within the grander story. Thank you for hosting this linkup for so long as it has always been meaningful. May God continue to bless and use you as you move forward. May you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
At Christmas time, I think of Jesus as Emmanuel, because God With Us changes every single scene of every story.
I asked myself that question early this morning, and the first word that came to me was SAVIOR. A Savior has come!
My fondest memory of our girls when they were young at Christmas was the way they would keep moving the pieces of the Nativity around. I would see that sheep and shepherds had been moved, the wisemen were moved, even Joseph and Mary. But Jesus was always in the center, front and center. I thought it was interesting that as each girl would playfully move the characters of the nativity scene around, they kept Jesus front and center.
I loved this post! I collect Nativities and there is indeed a story that comes with every one! 🙂
I love this so much. The Christmas memories. The way Jesus manifests Himself to us to fulfill our needs. Beautiful. Merry Christmas. laurensparks.net
I think of Jesus as connection – He connects me to God the Father and God the Spirit. He came so I can connect in love. And I have some beautiful nativities – my favorite is my cabbage patch doll under the tree in a wooden dish rack. He came humbly and I’m grateful.
Blessings on your new endeavors – they will surely be bless our hearts, and thanks for inviting me in to host! x, s.
PS I saw that half off sale and ordered from Barnes and Noble – I’ll read it first and then regift !(Unless I write in the margins!)
Jesus is the great gift we receive at this time of year. This is one gift it’s important to REGIFT! Give the gift of Christ to as many people you can…It will never be returned. The gift is already wrapped – in swaddling clothes! Jesus is the center of our lives. Blessings!
The book has been a comfort to me, and I have several for gifts. Thank you for writing it.
Your grandmother is so inspiring! It reminds me of my great grandmother. My mom told me she used to stop and give everything up to God. Even if it was just sweeping the floor or washing dishes. Mom says that she remembers her grandmother pausing before she started a task and saying “Lord, I give this up to you.” I try to remind myself of that when a task gets hard. I think we can do that with Christmas too. Before we jump into unwrapping presents, we can pause and give it up to God. 🙂
Holley,
Each nativity does have a story to tell. Our church did a live nativity. It was fun & awe inspiring to see the whole thing live. it adds a new dimension to the story. You realize what they went through on that day. It was probably cold & maybe even snowing. We had rain & some snow here in Upper E. TN. Like Ann Voskamp said we need to be manager tramps. Standing quietly gazing on the cast of characters. All people “real people” who believed in God & obeyed Him. They took a step of faith & trekked to find/birth the baby Jesus. Takes my breath away!
Merry Christmas!