Eighty-nine

John 15:10
I have obeyed my father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.

Jesus lived his life as an example. 

Yesterrday I was crafting and after dinner I went out to the local craft store to look for a manger scene to complete a craft I had seen and wanted to make myself.  I wandered around the whole craft store, I saw many chistmas decorations but I did not see a single "Christ" in the whole store.  No Mary, No Joseph, No Jesus 

Usually I can go into the craft store and find anything I need.
Today I went in search of Jesus and I couldn’t find him in the craft store. I wondered if this was a trend. The next store I went to was the largest retail chain in the U. S. and wandered through their Christmas decorations. They had a lot of decorations, I again was disappointed in my search for Jesus. The only thing I found with Jesus on it was a small 2 ft. x 2 ft. display of religious ornaments.

I know perfectly well that you can not go into a store and just buy a manger scene to have Jesus in your life, but I was wanting to display a manger scene and display Jesus Christ as my symbol of Christmas in my home and anyway isn’t that the real reason we are celebrating Christmas? I know it is the reason I am celebrating Christmas in my home.

I do have a very large nativity scene that takes up about a 6 ft by 2 ft area. I made it out of ceramics the year before I was pregnant with my baby girl so I have had it seventeen years. It is large and is the focal point of our decorations. Truthfully I haven’t shopped for a manger scene over the years. But yesterday I was working on a craft project and I wanted the baby Jesus to be in it.

I was saddened that Jesus has been obsolete in the general retail industry for Christmas. The general public are the people who could benefit from knowing Jesus.

As I was walking around the craft store I was vocal in the fact Jesus was not to be found. “Did you find everything OK?”
“No, I did not. There is not a single manger scene in this store.”
“Really?”
“Really.”

Usually a cashier is supposed to get a manager if a customer is negative and make the customer happy, but that didn’t happen. No one but me was concerned the true symbol of Christmas was no to be found in the craft store.

If a person goes in search of Christ they do not seek him in retail. They have to seek him in their hearts and in the bible and that is where he can be found.

I hate that the word “Believe” has become the symbol of believing in Santa.

As for me and my house we will believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and worship the Lord as we celebrate his birth this coming month.

Today I am thankful Jesus is in my life and I am reminded that as Christians we may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.

Keep Jesus Christ in Christmas.

Lord, give us all thankful hearts.