Day 317 - "Hey."

"Hey."

What's that? No one just says "Hey" unless they want or need something? I guess you do have a point there. Generally anytime I begin a statement with "Hey," it's generally followed by something like "What do you want?". So, I understand, I really do. 

So, after that little bunny trail, I once again continue on with where I was going before I was so rudely interrupted (Is is interrupting if one does it to his/her own self?).

"Hey. Merry Christmas." 

Now, at first glance, I'm pretty much just wishing you a nice holiday season. However, Ellie and I just wanted to give you a helpful little reminder as to why we celebrate. Or, you know, at least the reason I believe we celebrate. Like most things, this blog post begins with something relatively simple that I choose to describe in an unnecessary amount of words.

The item in question today is a LittlePeople nativity play set gifted to Ellie last Christmas by her great-aunt Julie (who may or may not appreciate me using that many greats when describing her). Believe it or not, the nativity set was actually bought for Ellie two years ago when Bethany was still pregnant.

Ah, everything has a place and everything in its place...

After receiving it last Christmas, we let Ellie play with it until we took down our Christmas decorations for the season. Rather than leaving it out at that point, we decided to carefully pack it back in its box choosing instead to get it out each year when we decorate for Christmas. Since doing so shortly after Thanksgiving, the set has occupied a place of honor in our living room.

Of course, part of having a toddler (still seems weird to say toddler instead of infant) is that nothing stays nice and pristine for long, especially toys! At the end of each night or beginning of each day, Bethany or I take great care to set the nativity scene up to its original condition. By great care, I mean great care. Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus reside inside the stable with the wise men gathered outside near their respective animals as an angel stands perched atop the stable, arms stretched wide.

As you can probably guess, that nativity scene remains in a state of "perfection" for approximately five minutes after Ellie awakes for the day. Then, like anything else, it is strewn about the living room. Although, in a certain amount of irony, Ellie does always remove the angel from its lofty perch, choosing instead to replace it with a camel. I guess she really likes camels or something. As I stated previously, the end of each day results in us returning it to its prior condition, readying it for the next day.

Not quite how I envisioned the first Christmas...

Now, while this may seem like a fruitless exercise, I truly believe the opposite. While Ellie's still a little young to really get it, there's nothing wrong with Bethany and I striving to instill values of our Christian faith in her at a young age. Not to mention the fact that she just really enjoys playing with it. It goes even deeper than that though.

In a way, this simple process really echoes what it's like to be a follower of Christ in a nutshell. At the beginning when we as humans were created by God, we were perfect, created in His image. Just like Ellie's nativity at the beginning of each day. However, when Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the lone fruit in the garden off limits to them, we immediately were thrust into a state of disrepair, brokenness, separation from God, and drowning in our sin. In other words, we no longer were fulfilling the purpose we were meant to. While Ellie's nativity scene is meant to be played with, it certainly has more meaning when seen in a certain fashion, namely not strewn about.

Now, the important part's about to happen. Make sure you pay attention. Mankind was basically floating along destined to suffer for all eternity due to our sins. After all, if God is perfect, why would He desire to coexist with beings who are not? That was the case until the time that a miraculous baby was born to a virgin one "winter" in Bethlehem. 

33 years later, that baby became a perfect, sinless man, the Son of God, who was strung up on a cross, sentenced to die. However, in doing so, he took the brunt of God's wrath for our sin, suffering once for all. After that, the eternal life and relationship with God that was once beyond our grasp was now attainable simply through believing and trusting that Christ was the Son of God and accepting him as our Lord and Savior. Through that, we become perfect and without blemish, much like how Ellie's nativity scene returns to its pristine state each and every night.

I realize that just spitting out the Gospel in about 200 words like this is putting it all relatively simply. However, the truth remains that I believe the Christmas season exists to celebrate not only the birth of Jesus, but also the fact that He came to die for us. 

I realize this might be a little heavy-handed compared to a lot of #DaddyWrite posts which tend to verge on, well, let's face it, absolute silliness. However, I earnestly hope this Christmas season, you and yours spend some time celebrating the reason for the season.

Oh, and "Hey"...Have a Merry Christmas!!! #DaddyWrite