Finding Jesus

This first year we did it, it was easy. Like many other people we don’t put the baby Jesus in our manger scene until Christmas Eve or Day. So, it’s my job to hide the Jesus figurine and it’s the kid’s job to find it.

The first year was easy. The figurine was “hidden” in plan sight, on a shelf and at eye level with the kids. Since then I’ve had to exercise greater ingenuity in hiding him. They scour the house thoroughly.

I’m expected to give clues once and a while, but there deliberately vague, like, “he’s somewhere in the house,” or, “he’s up stairs.”

One evening this year, our youngest daughter started searching. First checking previous year’s hiding places. Not a bad strategy, I must say. Well, either I have less ingenuity than I once enjoyed or the kids are getting smarter. I flatter myself, the kids are getting smarter, but I never really had much ingenuity.

This year the baby Jesus figurine was found in record time. The only clue I gave was that, “he’s not on my person.” Within five or so minutes the baby Jesus was found in a drawer that is rarely opened. And upon finding it our daughter let out a great victory yelp!

With well earned joy and flourish, and holding the figurine high, she placed the baby Jesus in the manger scene. And standing back, she turned and proclaimed, “He’s a preemie!”

Those of you who look forward to this article have no doubt come to expect some sort of theological life-lesson from an otherwise harmless story. Usually I do, and it’s probably more surprising to me than to anyone else, but not today. Today, I tell this story simply because I think it’s really funny. Happy New Year!