Straw-Filled Christmas
A STRAW-FILLED CHRISTMAS TRADITION
by Lynne Laukhuf
It all began a few years ago. It was several weeks before Christmas and our family was busy preparing for the holiday. Excitement was everywhere. Our two children, Adam, aged three, and Shannon, aged eight delighted in baking and frosting the Christmas cookies; I was running around doing errands and Christmas shopping; and my husband, Larry, was out searching for the perfect tree. The traditional wreath had gone up on the front door, and inside the house, candles, holly and a garland completed the festive look.
But one afternoon, following a long day of baking and gift-wrapping, I walked into the living room, sank my weary body into the sofa and propped my tired feet on the coffee table. The excitement of the holiday had turned to exhaustion and the joy of the season was facing. Where in all of these preparations, I wondered is the message that Christ has come into the world? Our family, it seemed to me, was so busy preparing for Christmas that perhaps we'd lost sight of its true meaning.
That evening I told Larry about my concern. "How can we put Christ into our Christmas?" I asked him. He seemed to agree with me that materialism had taken hold in our house and we ought to get our attention back to the spiritual-Christ's coming.
No, we didn't decree an end to our Christmas festivities, but we did add a preparation that was to become meaningful to all of us. We took our manger scene and placed it in a prominent place in the dining room. As usual, the children carefully unpacked the plaster of Paris figures that had been saved from my husband's childhood, and placed them around the manger.
However, we left the infant crib empty. Next to the manger we placed a small bowl filled with pieces of straw. Since all children understand that babies need a soft, comfortable bed in which to lie, we explained that we had to get ready for the Baby Jesus to come and that we would fill His crib with bits of straw.
Then we told them about the most important part of this new family tradition. "Giving gifts at Christmas is a message of love," Larry explained. "You can give gifts to the Baby Jesus, too." The children's faces lit up.
"That's right," I picked up. "We won't give Him presents wrapped in ribbons and bows, but we can do kind and loving things for others, in His name. And each and every time we do a kindness for someone else, we will put a piece of straw in the empty crib. By Christmas we'll have our special gift for the Baby Jesus." The little ones nodded and beamed with excitement. They were eager to begin.
During those weeks before Christmas a special anticipation was added to our home. Small deeds of kindness were secretly performed and the bed was slowly filling...
One afternoon when I came home, the dirty breakfast dishes had been washed and cleared from the dishwasher. After a snow-filled day of sledding, Adam (with a little help from his dad) had secretly put away Shannon's sled for the night. A call from Nana told us of the special hand-drawn pictures the children had sent in the Christmas mail. And one morning, we awoke to find two round, shining faces awaiting us with "breakfast in bed:-a bowl filled with milk and a few spoonfuls of cereal.
So it went. I even discovered my son's little playmate quietly slipping into the house to put in a few bits of straw. Little surprises never ceased and the manger was looking quite comfortable with its thick bed of hay.
On Christmas morning the crib was full and Shannon carefully placed the Baby in His love-filled bed. After breakfast we gathered around the manger with a specially baked birthday cake and sang, "Happy Birthday to Jesus."
Each year we repeat this family tradition it becomes more special. And as we sing to Him on Christmas morning we remember it is His day after all and that we have prepared ourselves for His coming and have given Him many fine gifts of love.
by Lynne Laukhuf
It all began a few years ago. It was several weeks before Christmas and our family was busy preparing for the holiday. Excitement was everywhere. Our two children, Adam, aged three, and Shannon, aged eight delighted in baking and frosting the Christmas cookies; I was running around doing errands and Christmas shopping; and my husband, Larry, was out searching for the perfect tree. The traditional wreath had gone up on the front door, and inside the house, candles, holly and a garland completed the festive look.
But one afternoon, following a long day of baking and gift-wrapping, I walked into the living room, sank my weary body into the sofa and propped my tired feet on the coffee table. The excitement of the holiday had turned to exhaustion and the joy of the season was facing. Where in all of these preparations, I wondered is the message that Christ has come into the world? Our family, it seemed to me, was so busy preparing for Christmas that perhaps we'd lost sight of its true meaning.
That evening I told Larry about my concern. "How can we put Christ into our Christmas?" I asked him. He seemed to agree with me that materialism had taken hold in our house and we ought to get our attention back to the spiritual-Christ's coming.
No, we didn't decree an end to our Christmas festivities, but we did add a preparation that was to become meaningful to all of us. We took our manger scene and placed it in a prominent place in the dining room. As usual, the children carefully unpacked the plaster of Paris figures that had been saved from my husband's childhood, and placed them around the manger.
However, we left the infant crib empty. Next to the manger we placed a small bowl filled with pieces of straw. Since all children understand that babies need a soft, comfortable bed in which to lie, we explained that we had to get ready for the Baby Jesus to come and that we would fill His crib with bits of straw.
Then we told them about the most important part of this new family tradition. "Giving gifts at Christmas is a message of love," Larry explained. "You can give gifts to the Baby Jesus, too." The children's faces lit up.
"That's right," I picked up. "We won't give Him presents wrapped in ribbons and bows, but we can do kind and loving things for others, in His name. And each and every time we do a kindness for someone else, we will put a piece of straw in the empty crib. By Christmas we'll have our special gift for the Baby Jesus." The little ones nodded and beamed with excitement. They were eager to begin.
During those weeks before Christmas a special anticipation was added to our home. Small deeds of kindness were secretly performed and the bed was slowly filling...
One afternoon when I came home, the dirty breakfast dishes had been washed and cleared from the dishwasher. After a snow-filled day of sledding, Adam (with a little help from his dad) had secretly put away Shannon's sled for the night. A call from Nana told us of the special hand-drawn pictures the children had sent in the Christmas mail. And one morning, we awoke to find two round, shining faces awaiting us with "breakfast in bed:-a bowl filled with milk and a few spoonfuls of cereal.
So it went. I even discovered my son's little playmate quietly slipping into the house to put in a few bits of straw. Little surprises never ceased and the manger was looking quite comfortable with its thick bed of hay.
On Christmas morning the crib was full and Shannon carefully placed the Baby in His love-filled bed. After breakfast we gathered around the manger with a specially baked birthday cake and sang, "Happy Birthday to Jesus."
Each year we repeat this family tradition it becomes more special. And as we sing to Him on Christmas morning we remember it is His day after all and that we have prepared ourselves for His coming and have given Him many fine gifts of love.
Comments