Happy Birthday, Jesus!

It's that time of year where I feel like I have to creatively explain to my oldest child that Christmas is not about presents...it's about Jesus...His birth...and the hope that He brings to all of us.  Those of you who know me best know that I don't do Santa or go into debt to buy Christmas presents...it's just not my style.  I do, however, love decorating and playing Christmas music and really preparing my heart for the season that we celebrate Christ's entry into the world to save us...to save me.  I mean, seriously, when I stop to think about the birth of our Savior...and all that it means not just for me, but for my children...my sons...I have to stop and catch my breath.  Thank you, sweet Jesus, for loving us so much that you would take on flesh...that you would become like us...so that we could be like you.

Now, how does one explain this to a 2 year old?

In my house...a couple of our conversations went like this:

Discussion #1:  "Emmanuel, let's put up our nativity scenes (we have two).  Here is Baby Jesus, his mama, his dada, etc..."  I turn my head (well, actually, I went into the kitchen to grab some water), and I came back to my sweet Emmanuel, who had grouped both nativity scenes together, and was pretending to be a fireman (he was pretending to hose down the nativity scenes with his firehose.)  I said, "Emmanuel, babe, what are you doing?"  He replied, "There was a fire and I'm a 'woo-woo man' (aka fireman)...they called me to put it out.  I said, "Um...I don't think there was a fire the night that Jesus was born."  Emmanuel, "Un-huh, mama, I just put it out."


Discussion #2:  "Emmanuel, Baby Jesus was born in a manger.  He didn't have a crib or anything."  Emmanuel replied, "Baby Jesus don't like cribs.  I don't like cribs, too!"

I pray that God would use these conversations to prepare the hearts and minds of my boys as they grow and understand what Christmas truly means...that they would be able to declare, "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and truly understand the meaning of "God with us."

Happy Birthday, Jesus.  Thank you so much for loving us.