Monday, Day 23, Two Babies in the Manger

For Kids:

It is just a few days away when Christmas arrives.  In most homes there will be gifts to open and food to eat. 

I wonder if you thought of what you can give Jesus for his birthday?

Now, you might think, "what can I give Jesus?"

Here’s a story that I think might help you realize what would be good present for Jesus.

It was nearing the holiday season and we had made a trip to Russia to visit an orphanage.

We were asked to tell them the Christmas story.  Most of the orphans have never heard the story from the bible, and so it was for the first time we got to tell them the traditional story of Christmas.

We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. 

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

As we completed the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger.

Then each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. (No colored paper was available in the city.)

We told the children to tear the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw.  A doll‑like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought and it became the baby Jesus.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help.

All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat.  He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.

Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to add to the story with his own words. 

He made up his own ending to the story as he said,

"When Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.

Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did.

But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, 'If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift'

And Jesus told me, 'If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.'

'So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him for always.'

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little Misha, who didn’t have parents, had found someone who would never abandon him, someone who would stay with him - FOR ALWAYS.

Did you know that Jesus once said:  “Let the little children come to me, and don’t ever stop them, for they also can come into the kingdom of God.   (Mark 10:14)

So, what is a present you can give to Jesus? 

Why not give him yourself!

For an activity today, you can make your own manger with popsicle sticks and something to color.

For Parents and Other Not Kids:

The story of Misha was a true story.

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools.

They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage.

The orphanage Misha was in had about 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government‑run institution.

The two Americans saw little Misha and witnessed what he did to give Jesus a present.

It’s too easy for many of us to make Christmas all about the latest toys, video games, electronic gizmos.

How can we help our kids understand that Christmas isn’t just about getting; but also a time when we can share and give to others who are less fortunate?

We participate in an overseas program called Operation Christmas Child  through the Mission agency Samaritan’s Purse.  You can find information about it at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

As our kids grew up we often asked them to give away some of their older toys to charities like Goodwill, and we also encouraged them to serve in places like food banks, or shelters.

Why do all of this?

It helps our kids mature if they realize that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, and that even when they don’t have as much as another friend, they are still better off than most of the rest of the kids in the world.

Remember, Luke 6:38
³⁸  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

Peace