Christmas is Simply Finding Jesus

9:08 AMHeather

Chris shared this story in our Life Group on Sunday during our intro time, and honestly, it was a memory I'd so tucked away--I'd completely forgotten about it. (I keep wondering if 38 years old is too young for Alzheimer's?)....

In 2003, we took our boys on a trip of a lifetime to visit their grandma who was living in England. One of our adventures was a trip to a nearby town called Gloucestershire, where part of the cathedral dated back to the 1500's.



Pretty amazing,huh? It was one of those experiences that nearly takes your breath away. We were overwhelmed by the beauty, the ornate carvings, the amazing architecture, the intricate stained glass windows, and the angelic choir that was rehearsing--their music filling the building, and setting the scene.

Cameras are not allowed in the cathedral, but I found this photo online.


Our boys were 2 and 4 at the time, and I was not sure how much they'd appreciate the experience of walking where people have worshipped for hundreds of years. They clung to their prized possessions--their blankies, and seemed a bit bored, really. I was trying to drink in the experience while keeping my little guys from distracting others in their attempt to do the same.

As all families with small kids do, we rushed through the cathedral tour a bit faster than we'd like to, but we were on toddler time. Toward the end of the tour, I was intrigued by this memorial.



I was reading the placard attached to this memorial when I noticed the boys were not near me. My stomach flipped as I looked around feverishly, then nearly burst into tears at what I saw. My older son was whispering, in his best preschool indoor whisper, "MOM, MOM, come look!" The boys were huddled around this very simple stone statue of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. No facial features were carved into the statues, and they were a tan color that melted into the color of the walls. In fact, no one else even noticed them discarded in the corner as they were. Yet, both boys had a look of wonder on their faces as they gently laid their precious blankies over baby Jesus, mesmerized by finding the Messiah.

That is what Christmas is all about. In a world where we seek beauty and worry about appearances, we are distracted by the sparkle and glitter and ornate trappings of this world. But there, in the middle of it, is the simplicity of Jesus. Isaiah says that there was no beauty in Jesus, nothing to draw the attention or affection of man. Yet,the most beautiful truth of Christmas is this. The Son of the God of the Universe came, born in a dirty stable, placed in a borrowed feeding trough, wrapped in clothes, with YOU in mind. Will you find him among the blinking lights, expensive gifts, and busy season of Christmas?

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