STICKY JESUS
To the untrained eye, it would appear to only be a table full of various Christmas decorations that arrive from the attic to the table before they are all placed in the perfect spot for the holidays. However, what seemed to be a random placement of items soon became a very intentional placement, at least by a little girl.
I wanted to make sure that everything at least made it down from the attic as we began decorating for Christmas. Everyone gets excited as we come across an ornament or a decoration and each remember it in their own way. Everything was placed on the dining table so we could accomplish the feat of getting it all down, and then we could place things at our leisure. The table collection was shrinking as things had been put in their place over the last couple of days. There were only a few items remaining on the table waiting for their perfect spot of rest.
One of the first things our family puts in place is the “breakable” nativity. There are many spiritual reasons such as making sure we remember the reason for the season, but the most practical reason is IT IS BREAKABLE and in a home of 2 boys and 1 girl, it just makes the most sense to have it up on the mantle as quickly as possible. So, the breakable nativity was in place very early on in the decorating journey.
Kendall, our little 3 year old daughter, often asks to see “breakable Jesus” and she is always so careful as she admires him at her level. At times, she will even ask for Mary so his momma can be with him. She will request the camel, cow, shepherd, etc., as she attempts to bring the whole scene down to her level. She will never ask for the “breakable Jesus” with out asking for his manger…”so He can be cozy”, she says.
I was busy at the kitchen sink one morning and Kendall was busy doing her 3 year old stuff. You know, cutting paper, playing with babies, and watching Dora. She then had gotten a container from the table and traveled through the kitchen…on a mission. When she came back through I asked her what was in there and she answered by saying “breakable stuff”. I reminded her to be very careful and she reminded me that she was.
I can see my living room mantel from my kitchen and I noticed that “breakable Jesus” was not up in his place. I asked, “Kendall, do you know where breakable Jesus is?” She innocently replied, “Yes, momma, he is on the table.” Over the next few minutes I noticed that Kendall was making more trips through the kitchen to the dining table with a container that appeared to be full of stuff,
On one trip she made a quick stop to ask me for a band-aide. I have learned over the past 12 years, that when a child asks for a band-aide it does not always mean there is a wound. More often it means they just want a band-aide. Rather than inquire about the need, I have learned to just get the band-aide. So I did and handed it to her.
After a number of trips through the kitchen and obviously many things traveling with her, I asked her what she was doing with all of the breakable stuff. Her answer was one that stopped me from my busyness…”I’m taking it to ‘breakable Jesus’”. Oh my. From the mouths of babes. As I held back my emotion of the moment, I asked her why she was taking all of that to him. “It makes Him happy”, she replied. That is when I stopped and took the time to evaluate the scene this little one had set.
On the dining table there were many memories. Many of those memories were happy, but in all honesty, some of those memories brought tears. However, strategically placed by a 3 year old little girl, “breakable Jesus” was surrounded by such things as: a pair of old stockings with family members name’s on them; a nativity scene given to us by a dear friend; members of the breakable nativity scene given to us by my mother and daddy; a Christmas Tupperware set received from a dear friend of 39 years that died this year…(this was also what was used to carry the breakable stuff); an ornament made from a light bulb by my oldest son, Chase; a picture ornament of my youngest son as a baby and one of his favorite NASCAR ornaments; a set of candle holders that spelled JOY, given to us by Glenn’s mom who died 7 years ago, (and as I write this, today is her birthday); and a duck napkin holder…yes, with a band-aide on his back.
Wow. The message of Christmas was clear. God sent his son, Jesus, to us for the very things that Kendall had arranged visually. Jesus is there for all of our sadness, brokenness, struggles, and JOYs. That was why he came!
I still get a lump in my throat as I look at the Tupperware set from of dear friend, and as it was used to carry many other breakables to “breakable Jesus”, I am reminded that Jesus calls us to do the same. As our hearts break remembering a loved one that has moved to heaven it often brings a load of other emotions. Jesus wants them all. And as we bring them to Him, He will bring us peace as we leave those with Him. It makes Him happy to receive those things from us.
What about the gift of family as we view the things given to us by parents and the Christian heritage we are reminded of as we decorate our homes each year. How important it is that we teach our children the way of righteousness. That way is in centering your life on Jesus Christ. It makes Him happy as we offer our families to Him.
Candle sticks without a candle are pretty, but when the candle is in place and the wick is lit, one might say you can experience JOY in looking at them. As memories of loved ones, especially moms, can sometimes be so raw and bring about feelings of loneliness and a longing for them to be near again…you can place the candle, light the wick and experience JOY in the peace Christ offers. In that same way when you look at how one’s life has impacted you and how precious it is, with Christ lighting up your life you find JOY knowing you will be reunited with that loved one in eternity. It makes Him happy as we give our burdens and grief to Him and He in turn gives us hope.
How my mind travels back in time when I look at a picture of my children as babies. I just know it was only yesterday when they were that small. Each one has their own personality and how different they are. Cade happens to love NASCAR and subsequently, the family has developed interest in it as well. It is such a joy to journey with him and share in his joys and excitements. (like when Jeff Gordon passes Tony Stewart) How much more does Jesus want to walk our lives with us? To enjoy along side of us the things we enjoy. It makes Him happy when we bring to Him our every being and interests not only to share with Him but to invite Him to enjoy it along with us.
Ordinary light bulbs are just that…ordinary bulbs of light. When hands are instructed on how to create something from them, though it may cost time, effort, and energy, it can become something extraordinary. As Chase began his creation with just an ordinary bulb of light he was able to design a beautiful ornament. We are all bulbs of light and that is exactly God’s desire to each of us~to allow Him to create a new life in us by being our Lord and Savior. It makes Him happy as we give our life to Him and he gives us eternal life.
A duck with a band-aide is the visual reminder that may be the hardest to face. When I examined the duck, it was not broken. There were no cracks. There was not even a scratch. Kendall had just placed the band-aide on it in her 3 year old wisdom. But follow my thoughts as I show you that often the duck with a band-aide is more like us than any other figure presented. Isn’t it true that we band-aide our flaws many times and the band-aide doesn’t even come close to piecing together our brokenness? The damage is not something that is seen by others, but something on the inside, often very deep inside. It might be a strained relationship with a family member or friend, an addiction, resentment, envy, greed, or just plain old hurt feelings.
The fact is, just as a band-aide can not mend internal injuries our own little patchwork can not mend our emotional and spiritual internal injuries. God sent His only son, Jesus, to mend us. To repair us. By accepting Jesus as your personal savior and Lord, you are not guaranteed a life without brokenness and despair but you are guaranteed (in your heart) the repair kit. Not only will Jesus save you from your sin and give you eternal life, he remains there to repair your nicks, scrapes and dings that you receive in life. He even repairs the ones that can’t be seen by others. It makes Him happy for us to bring our imperfections to Him.
After I had my personal revival, I let Kendall go back to the enjoyment of bringing things to “breakable Jesus” and I went back to the sink. I wondered if “breakable Jesus” was really what we needed to continue to call the little figure. After all, we bring OUR breakables to HIM. Then, as I gasped with insight, I realized that is exactly what He is…”breakable Jesus”. God sent Him to be broken for me. He took my breakables to the cross. He was breakable. But He rose again, never to be broken again. Jesus wasn’t breakable from a perfection standpoint, he was perfect and that perfection was never broken. But he allowed himself to be broken for me that I might have everlasting no-breakable life. That is big news!
That night while getting things put up and in their place before bed, I found “breakable Jesus” on a pillow in the living room. As I picked him up I immediately noticed that he had been held by sticky hands. He had been in hands that had been many places that day and into many things. At first, I started to wipe him off before I put him back on the mantel in his cozy bed. Then I stopped. Isn’t that where Jesus is most cozy…..in our everyday lives doing everyday things? Not put high on a shelf to glance at occasionally, but with us in everything. We don’t need to wait and wash our hands before we touch him. We could never get them clean enough. In our lives, and walking with us hand in hand is where He is most cozy. It makes Him happy when we carry Him through our lives, ….sticky hands and all.
Now I think I will call him “sticky Jesus”.
To the untrained eye, it would appear to only be a table full of various Christmas decorations that arrive from the attic to the table before they are all placed in the perfect spot for the holidays. However, what seemed to be a random placement of items soon became a very intentional placement, at least by a little girl.
I wanted to make sure that everything at least made it down from the attic as we began decorating for Christmas. Everyone gets excited as we come across an ornament or a decoration and each remember it in their own way. Everything was placed on the dining table so we could accomplish the feat of getting it all down, and then we could place things at our leisure. The table collection was shrinking as things had been put in their place over the last couple of days. There were only a few items remaining on the table waiting for their perfect spot of rest.
One of the first things our family puts in place is the “breakable” nativity. There are many spiritual reasons such as making sure we remember the reason for the season, but the most practical reason is IT IS BREAKABLE and in a home of 2 boys and 1 girl, it just makes the most sense to have it up on the mantle as quickly as possible. So, the breakable nativity was in place very early on in the decorating journey.
Kendall, our little 3 year old daughter, often asks to see “breakable Jesus” and she is always so careful as she admires him at her level. At times, she will even ask for Mary so his momma can be with him. She will request the camel, cow, shepherd, etc., as she attempts to bring the whole scene down to her level. She will never ask for the “breakable Jesus” with out asking for his manger…”so He can be cozy”, she says.
I was busy at the kitchen sink one morning and Kendall was busy doing her 3 year old stuff. You know, cutting paper, playing with babies, and watching Dora. She then had gotten a container from the table and traveled through the kitchen…on a mission. When she came back through I asked her what was in there and she answered by saying “breakable stuff”. I reminded her to be very careful and she reminded me that she was.
I can see my living room mantel from my kitchen and I noticed that “breakable Jesus” was not up in his place. I asked, “Kendall, do you know where breakable Jesus is?” She innocently replied, “Yes, momma, he is on the table.” Over the next few minutes I noticed that Kendall was making more trips through the kitchen to the dining table with a container that appeared to be full of stuff,
On one trip she made a quick stop to ask me for a band-aide. I have learned over the past 12 years, that when a child asks for a band-aide it does not always mean there is a wound. More often it means they just want a band-aide. Rather than inquire about the need, I have learned to just get the band-aide. So I did and handed it to her.
After a number of trips through the kitchen and obviously many things traveling with her, I asked her what she was doing with all of the breakable stuff. Her answer was one that stopped me from my busyness…”I’m taking it to ‘breakable Jesus’”. Oh my. From the mouths of babes. As I held back my emotion of the moment, I asked her why she was taking all of that to him. “It makes Him happy”, she replied. That is when I stopped and took the time to evaluate the scene this little one had set.
On the dining table there were many memories. Many of those memories were happy, but in all honesty, some of those memories brought tears. However, strategically placed by a 3 year old little girl, “breakable Jesus” was surrounded by such things as: a pair of old stockings with family members name’s on them; a nativity scene given to us by a dear friend; members of the breakable nativity scene given to us by my mother and daddy; a Christmas Tupperware set received from a dear friend of 39 years that died this year…(this was also what was used to carry the breakable stuff); an ornament made from a light bulb by my oldest son, Chase; a picture ornament of my youngest son as a baby and one of his favorite NASCAR ornaments; a set of candle holders that spelled JOY, given to us by Glenn’s mom who died 7 years ago, (and as I write this, today is her birthday); and a duck napkin holder…yes, with a band-aide on his back.
Wow. The message of Christmas was clear. God sent his son, Jesus, to us for the very things that Kendall had arranged visually. Jesus is there for all of our sadness, brokenness, struggles, and JOYs. That was why he came!
I still get a lump in my throat as I look at the Tupperware set from of dear friend, and as it was used to carry many other breakables to “breakable Jesus”, I am reminded that Jesus calls us to do the same. As our hearts break remembering a loved one that has moved to heaven it often brings a load of other emotions. Jesus wants them all. And as we bring them to Him, He will bring us peace as we leave those with Him. It makes Him happy to receive those things from us.
What about the gift of family as we view the things given to us by parents and the Christian heritage we are reminded of as we decorate our homes each year. How important it is that we teach our children the way of righteousness. That way is in centering your life on Jesus Christ. It makes Him happy as we offer our families to Him.
Candle sticks without a candle are pretty, but when the candle is in place and the wick is lit, one might say you can experience JOY in looking at them. As memories of loved ones, especially moms, can sometimes be so raw and bring about feelings of loneliness and a longing for them to be near again…you can place the candle, light the wick and experience JOY in the peace Christ offers. In that same way when you look at how one’s life has impacted you and how precious it is, with Christ lighting up your life you find JOY knowing you will be reunited with that loved one in eternity. It makes Him happy as we give our burdens and grief to Him and He in turn gives us hope.
How my mind travels back in time when I look at a picture of my children as babies. I just know it was only yesterday when they were that small. Each one has their own personality and how different they are. Cade happens to love NASCAR and subsequently, the family has developed interest in it as well. It is such a joy to journey with him and share in his joys and excitements. (like when Jeff Gordon passes Tony Stewart) How much more does Jesus want to walk our lives with us? To enjoy along side of us the things we enjoy. It makes Him happy when we bring to Him our every being and interests not only to share with Him but to invite Him to enjoy it along with us.
Ordinary light bulbs are just that…ordinary bulbs of light. When hands are instructed on how to create something from them, though it may cost time, effort, and energy, it can become something extraordinary. As Chase began his creation with just an ordinary bulb of light he was able to design a beautiful ornament. We are all bulbs of light and that is exactly God’s desire to each of us~to allow Him to create a new life in us by being our Lord and Savior. It makes Him happy as we give our life to Him and he gives us eternal life.
A duck with a band-aide is the visual reminder that may be the hardest to face. When I examined the duck, it was not broken. There were no cracks. There was not even a scratch. Kendall had just placed the band-aide on it in her 3 year old wisdom. But follow my thoughts as I show you that often the duck with a band-aide is more like us than any other figure presented. Isn’t it true that we band-aide our flaws many times and the band-aide doesn’t even come close to piecing together our brokenness? The damage is not something that is seen by others, but something on the inside, often very deep inside. It might be a strained relationship with a family member or friend, an addiction, resentment, envy, greed, or just plain old hurt feelings.
The fact is, just as a band-aide can not mend internal injuries our own little patchwork can not mend our emotional and spiritual internal injuries. God sent His only son, Jesus, to mend us. To repair us. By accepting Jesus as your personal savior and Lord, you are not guaranteed a life without brokenness and despair but you are guaranteed (in your heart) the repair kit. Not only will Jesus save you from your sin and give you eternal life, he remains there to repair your nicks, scrapes and dings that you receive in life. He even repairs the ones that can’t be seen by others. It makes Him happy for us to bring our imperfections to Him.
After I had my personal revival, I let Kendall go back to the enjoyment of bringing things to “breakable Jesus” and I went back to the sink. I wondered if “breakable Jesus” was really what we needed to continue to call the little figure. After all, we bring OUR breakables to HIM. Then, as I gasped with insight, I realized that is exactly what He is…”breakable Jesus”. God sent Him to be broken for me. He took my breakables to the cross. He was breakable. But He rose again, never to be broken again. Jesus wasn’t breakable from a perfection standpoint, he was perfect and that perfection was never broken. But he allowed himself to be broken for me that I might have everlasting no-breakable life. That is big news!
That night while getting things put up and in their place before bed, I found “breakable Jesus” on a pillow in the living room. As I picked him up I immediately noticed that he had been held by sticky hands. He had been in hands that had been many places that day and into many things. At first, I started to wipe him off before I put him back on the mantel in his cozy bed. Then I stopped. Isn’t that where Jesus is most cozy…..in our everyday lives doing everyday things? Not put high on a shelf to glance at occasionally, but with us in everything. We don’t need to wait and wash our hands before we touch him. We could never get them clean enough. In our lives, and walking with us hand in hand is where He is most cozy. It makes Him happy when we carry Him through our lives, ….sticky hands and all.
Now I think I will call him “sticky Jesus”.
beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHey Karen,
ReplyDeleteI do babysit. I've picked up some kids from school (and watched them through the summer) for almost 2 years now and watched them until their mother got home from work at 5. I would love to help you out in the evenings if you need me!
I can give you my number if you need it. Just let me know!!!
-Megan
What a treat! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete