Asking for Jesus

I'm looking for a creche.

When our kids were little we had a wooden set they could play with, and another ceramic Precious Moments set that was also child-like, even though it was a 'hands away' kind of thing.

We even stored those huge papier-mâché, gold-sprayed figures in our attic for a long while, bringing them out to put on the porch about this time of year.

But somehow I've lost track of the sets inside, and the winter was eventually too much for Mary and Joseph outside. All that's left is Baby Jesus, which seems appropriate somehow.

That little cradle is out on my porch right now.

That's why, last October when we were doing some thrift store shopping with Suradet and Yupa and Bell, I took a look at the selection at Thrift on Kent.

Should have made a decision that day, but I didn't. I did notice this unique sign, though.

Not sure what it's about, whether or not they feel the need to protect Baby Jesus from shoplifters, or if it's just more likely they'll sell the entire set if Baby Jesus is for sure available.

Either way, the fact that one has to "ask" for Baby Jesus is important.
Here's the remarkable thing about this whole story.
That God came down to us.
That God does not make us crawl our way to Him, through religious rigmarole, or some hard-to-find riddles, or in any other way trying to earn our forgiveness.
Redemption and intimacy with God is a free gift.
God comes to us.

Jesus, by the evidence of His most-common birth, is available to everyone.

God doesn't makes us come to Him.
That's why it's called the Incarnation.

But.
He doesn't force us either.

We are volitional beings with free will. That's why I can't buy into a universal position on this. Because it violates the nature of God not to force Himself on us. That despite the horrific actions of some of those who have claimed to act on His behalf, every person has both the opportunity to say yes, and the right to say no.

Jesus is not pushy. If He was, He wouldn't have been born in some obscure little town in an out of the way place like a cattle shed.

Humility is His deal.
He's here.
You just have to ask for Him.

It's not just a one time deal, either. I feel like this is an everyday kind of thing. A seeking out, a pursing, a moving toward the God who moves towards me.

Anyways, that's what it seems like for me this Monday morning just fourteen days before Christmas Day.

Last night was my most 'normal' night of sleep yet, so I'm hoping I've turned the corner on jet lag. Have some good things laid out before me for the week, but still trying to stay on the quieter side of things. The fall was enormous, and it's time to balance things out a bit.

Wishing you meaningful Christmas reflections as you head into the week.

Just ask.