Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. John 14:27
I wanted to exalt Jesus to His rightful place as the center of Christmas instead of the tree. I owned a small, wooden nativity that I allowed my young children to play with, but I longed for an heirloom crèche. With six children and one income, the porcelain nativity set was my only gift that year.
The following Christmas, I excitedly displayed my treasured crèche in a prominent location. Unfortunately, my child, whose age had just reached double digits, lost a grip on a “flying” beanbag reindeer. The crash broke off the angel’s wings and Joseph’s head. I stared at the mess, knowing I couldn’t replace either figure without buying an entire set. Frustrated with the childish behavior, I wanted to toss the whole display into the trash.
Unbeknownst to me, another child—with a tender heart and more patience than I possess—spent hours painstakingly reattaching Joseph’s head and the angel’s wings. Using school glue, she held the pieces together until they dried.
Each Christmas, I view the chipped angel that’s held to the roof of the stable with a rubber band and notice the cracks and chips encircling Joseph’s neck, but I don’t see the defects. Instead, I see my daughter’s sacrifice. A child who brought peace to my home.
I’m reminded of the peace the Christ child brings to every heart who receives Him.
Lord, thank You for sending the Prince of Peace. May we become peacemakers.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas,
~Roxanne Sherwood~
I wanted to exalt Jesus to His rightful place as the center of Christmas instead of the tree. I owned a small, wooden nativity that I allowed my young children to play with, but I longed for an heirloom crèche. With six children and one income, the porcelain nativity set was my only gift that year.
The following Christmas, I excitedly displayed my treasured crèche in a prominent location. Unfortunately, my child, whose age had just reached double digits, lost a grip on a “flying” beanbag reindeer. The crash broke off the angel’s wings and Joseph’s head. I stared at the mess, knowing I couldn’t replace either figure without buying an entire set. Frustrated with the childish behavior, I wanted to toss the whole display into the trash.
Unbeknownst to me, another child—with a tender heart and more patience than I possess—spent hours painstakingly reattaching Joseph’s head and the angel’s wings. Using school glue, she held the pieces together until they dried.
Each Christmas, I view the chipped angel that’s held to the roof of the stable with a rubber band and notice the cracks and chips encircling Joseph’s neck, but I don’t see the defects. Instead, I see my daughter’s sacrifice. A child who brought peace to my home.
I’m reminded of the peace the Christ child brings to every heart who receives Him.
Lord, thank You for sending the Prince of Peace. May we become peacemakers.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas,
~Roxanne Sherwood~
2 comments:
Beautiful story.
Roxanne, What a sweet, touching story.
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