What is not obvious to me is that he is "getting" it. To be honest, he looks confused and he seems to lose focus when I talk about Jesus and Christmas together. I think he is confusing birthday and Christmas. He doesn't quite connect the "baby" Jesus with the Jesus we normally teach him about.
He is almost three, and it is never too young to learn love. I needed a new plan.
He's Too Good To Me and I were out doing a little Christmas shopping Friday evening when I found this at Lifeway.
Their website - What God Wants for Christmas. This is a storybook with a pop-up Nativity scene. It comes with seven "presents" to open as you read the story. There are Bible verses to read and questions to answer.
Their website has some great activity sheets and scavenger hunt ideas.
We included this with our dinner and a movie night last night with Isabela's friend- Emily, Shelby's guy- Joe, and Delia's hon- Ruben.
Shelby read the story while we all took turns with the Bible reading and the opening of the little "presents."
Box #7 contains a surprise. It has what God really wants for Christmas. When you open it there is a mirror inside. God wants you.
Most of the time Max was listening, the story is geared to slightly older children but he seemed to be soaking it up. His box contained baby Jesus and he liked the mirror.
It is a good way to help children focus on the meaning of Christmas. I love to decorate and we love Santa, but teaching my children about the gift God gave us when He sent His son, Jesus, is my job - not only at Christmas, but all year.
It is not a cliche', there is a true meaning to Christmas. The season flies by, and so do the teachable moments.
God's grace, Max is saying it here.
And by that same grace he will grow to become a man that searches out his Father's will. He will teach his babies one day, and they theirs. It begins with his daddy and me - and the story of a baby.
Merry Christmas baby boy. May you intimately understand the birth of the other baby boy -who came just for you.
