By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Eight hundred years ago near Greccio, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi celebrated Christmas by assembling a living nativity or creche. He used live animals for a depiction of Christ’s birth, hoping to draw attention to the advent and away from secular materialism of the day.
What a concept.
My husband and I have a donkey and goats in the barn this year, even a feed trough. But our nativity scene is indoors and quite unlike that of St. Francis. No bundled newborn lies in the tiny manger. Just a child with wavy hair, graceful arms lifted as if in blessing, and an angelic smile kissing his features.
Those of us who have seen newborns know this is not an accurate portrayal. Nor is it necessarily biblical.
Scripture tells us that Mary “wrapped him in swaddling clothes …” which means she wrapped baby Jesus snuggly in cloths, a technique still used around the world to comfort a newborn.
Today’s Advent candle signifies Joy. We sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” and rightly so, for that was the angels’ message. Hope, at last, was born. Peace was promised, and people should rejoice.
But not everyone did.
Tragedy accompanied the first Christmas two thousand years ago when a mentally-deranged leader ordered the murder of baby boys in his kingdom. He feared the one Babe predicted to be King, and so he killed all he could find.
It’s a side of the nativity we rarely consider—the wails of women who lost their innocent children to a maniacal murderer named Herod.
Maybe our sanitized crèches should have a scowling man lurking in the shadows beyond the star’s light.
How can eternal joy coexist with such crushing sorrow?
We may not understand how, but we can be assured that it does.
When Mary and her husband, Joseph, dedicated Jesus at the temple, a devout man there name Simeon praised God and said of Jesus, “… He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel.”
And to Mary, Simeon said, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:25-35).
No doubt Mary recalled those words the day she watched her son die on a Roman cross. And no doubt the joy of His resurrection outshone her sorrow.
The gift of God’s light to the world conquered the darkness of sin.
And so we light the Advent candle declaring that Joy has come.
Joy that, even in our sorrow, God will hold us close, swaddling us in His incomparable love.
May we consider those who grieve this Christmas for whatever reason. And may we bring them comfort and hope as we “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.”
Joy to the world Share on X
On Christmas Eve’s eve, Buck replaced the New Haven clock on the mantel with his hand-carved figures and arranged the pieces just so. Ara scattered cedar twigs and pinecones among them. When she finished, he pulled a handful of sweet grass hay from his pocket, gently lifted the sleeping figure, and filled the manger before returning the Babe to His bed. Ara linked her arm through Buck’s and gave it a squeeze. “It’s perfect. What a wonderful talent you have.”
His whiskers puffed out, and his eyes twinkled. “That’s not all I’ve got.” From his shirt pocket he pulled a mistletoe sprig with red yarn tied round the end. Then he tacked it to the low beam between the parlor and the entryway and gave Ara a wink. ~The Snowbound Bride
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
