April 02, 2019

Baby Jesus in My Pocket

Read: Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

At last year’s Rummage Sale, a curious thing happened to me. While working at the pre-sale, I was approached by one of the ladies working in the holiday department. She told me that one of the ladies had found a small nativity set made of fabric with tiny stuffed figures. She wanted to purchase the set for her young children, but somehow during the day she had dropped the baby Jesus. Realizing it was missing, she called the church and it was found. The holiday department lady asked me to hold on to baby Jesus until he could be picked up on Saturday by the young family.

So I took the tiny stuffed and embroidered baby Jesus in the manger and tucked him into my apron pocket. All day I continued to work with baby Jesus in my pocket. It’s hard to describe the feelings that I experienced having that soft little figure in my apron pocket.

John Wesley talks of the moment one is being motivated wholly by love of God and neighbor. With baby Jesus in my pocket I found that I was thinking more about others, the person talking to me, listening more and being more thoughtful in my response. I also found that my words and actions were motivated by love of my neighbor. With baby Jesus in my pocket, I could be kinder, more compassionate, a better listener and I could speak with love.

After I gave baby Jesus to the young family, I thought about how fun it was going to be for the children to have the special nativity set in their home. But what I want to remember is the special feeling of knowing I have baby Jesus in my pocket.

Libby Van de Putte