Me & My Manger Scene

I wanted the Willow Tree Nativity set for ages but never spent the money. One year, I bought the Holy Family for myself with birthday money from my mom.

Each year after that, I’d use mom’s birthday money to buy another set to add to my Nativity.

I found two Wisemen at the thrift store and for the longest time, I only had those two Wisemen. I laughed because I believe many Wisemen came to see the Baby, so what difference did it make if my set had two?

My mom passed away in 2020, so this set is even more special to me.

The past couple of years brought some things to my personal life that I never expected. I didn’t feel like setting out my nativity scene last year. Life felt gray and sad. I went through the motions of enjoying Christmas so that my little boy could have a good time, but I wasn’t “feeling it”.

I set out my nativity first thing this year. Life isn’t all back to normal and my body and mind are feeling the fallout of the past year, but I was ready to set out my figures.

I hadn’t put them away carefully the year before and some animals lost their ears.

I found a third Wiseman at the thrift store and …… oops! He’s a duplicate, but he’s missing his gift. Ha! What kind of sad Wiseman is he coming to see the Baby without a gift!

I arranged my figures on top of my piano and smiled as I tried to fit them in the small space. This set is a little picture of my life.

I’m showing up to things not quite all there—not quite together. This Christmas season, I’ve shown up without a gift, cookies, or cash. I’m a bit like that duplicate Wiseman, and yet I’m there. I’m still showing up—not hiding in my home and ignoring the world.

Like the animals, I too didn’t receive proper care and got bumped around over the past years, but thankfully, I’m not missing any ears! I carry sore spots and missing things. My mind is exhausted and my body gives out too often.

As I arranged my pieces, I smiled. Even with tender spots in my heart, and dings and bumps—even with the year I just lived through—God says, “You don’t need to wait. Come to me right now, as you are. Enjoy the hope and joy of the season. Revel in the truth that I came for you—not perfect you—but you.

I’m not valuable because I’m perfectly put together—and I praise God because that’s never me! I’m valuable and welcome to join in the joy of the nativity story because God came down to earth to make a way for me to be with him. The peace and glory of the season came because Emmanuel is with us.

I planned to search online and find animals without missing ears to fix my nativity set, but I’m not sure about that now. Perhaps I should leave it just as it is to remind me that I don’t have to glam up, or cover my flaws to celebrate the joy of remembering his birth. I just have to come as I am and worship my Emmanuel.

 

If you’d like to learn more about Emmanuel and four other names of God for Christmas, consider checking out my simple Christmas devotional.

 

 

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