I accidentally knocked the right hand off Joseph when I was setting up one of our Nativity sets last week. I slid his detached hand under the manger, for safekeeping until I had time to glue it back on — and to avoid any unwanted goading. When Daughter No. 2 happened to drop by the next day to borrow a computer cord, she instantly spotted Joseph’s severed hand:
Chloe: “Hey, did you know Joseph’s hand was under here?”
Me: Rolling my eyes because Steve (the hubby) was also standing there, “Yes, Chloe, Joseph and I had a minor mishap last night — your Dad didn’t know until now.”
Steve is actually quite forgiving in such matters as we also have an antique-white glazed 14” figurine of Joseph, Mary and Jesus on a donkey. A sweet patient of Steve’s gifted it to our growing family of four in 1992, early in our marriage. Unfortunately, minutes after bringing it home and admiring it, Steve lopped off Joseph’s ceramic head with one swift, sword-like strike while playing Zorro in the kitchen with a 30-inch roll of wrapping paper. It has been an annual tradition to check his head and glue it back on when needed (Joseph’s head, not Steve’s).
When our oldest daughter, Alex, was four, I found an 8-inch tall x 6-inch wide and 1.5-inches thick wooden nativity set that had two doors and a small clasp that would open up, containing 10 pieces. It was so durable for little hands that I bought two more a few years later so that all three daughters could play with their own.
I had written each daughter’s name and date on the back, hoping they would survive a few generations. I recently gave Chloe hers to take home with her, even though she squealed on me about Joseph’s hand.
Setting out our Nativity sets, along with hanging ornaments on our tree is one of our small Christmas traditions — a way of sharing our beliefs from generation to generation.
But over all the Christmas traditions and ‘worn’ Nativity sets they’ve played with since they were two years old, I pray the stories of old will remain in their hearts.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Matthew 1:23
And this is the way to have eternal life — to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
John 17:3
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Merry Christmas!
