He is not here...

I feel I must start this post with a disclaimer, reminding you guys to consider the name of my blog! ;O) My thoughts are not always conventional ones, but I love to wrestle through how and why we do things! This is just one of my latest attempts...

Have you ever considered why there will be many people this Christmas season who set out a nativity as part of their decorating scheme, yet have no clue what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? It used to be puzzling to me, but this is the conclusion I have come to...

For many people, Jesus has never become more than a cute little baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger. He is safe as long as He stays in there. How much havoc can a cute little baby really wreak in our lives. Once a year we pull the set out and pay homage to this wee one Who arrived in such an unconventional way. How much is an innocent baby really going to require of us?

Think about it...when your children have a birthday, do you sit around and obsess about the day they were born and fill your thoughts with them as a little baby? Sure it's fun to reminisce, but don't we really end up celebrating who they are NOW and what they mean to us at this stage of life? Why should it be any different with Jesus?

Last year when I set out my nativity, I didn't even put Jesus in His "rightful" place. Some people probably thought it looked crazy to have a nativity with no Jesus, but I wanted a visual reminder that HE IS NOT THERE! He is not still a little baby in my life, but He is the risen Saviour in Whom I have found eternal life. That's what I want to focus on!

This year when I set out the familiar pieces, I imagine Jesus will again be absent. I think I'll attach a sign to the scene, though, that reads like this...

He is not here, He is risen!

Now that's something to celebrate!