Mom, Pretend There's Room

This year as one of my special Christmas gifts

to my children, we typed up their journals that

I had written as they were growing up.  

My youngest is 18.  My first daugher-in-law had

been asking for my oldest son's since they were

married almost seven years ago and so I had

planned to do this, but hadn't gotten around to it.

As my Christmas message this year, I would like to

share something I had written in his journal.

From December 1987

"Tonight we had a family home evening and had read 

stories from the Old Testament.  As we were getting ready

to say the closing prayer Tyson ( who was 3years and 8 months old)

said he wanted to have "the Mary and Joseph story".  So my husband

said, "We'll act it out."  So my husband got down on his knees to

be the donkey and my oldest daughter who was just shy of 6 years

old pulled her shirt out to be fat and got on his back.  Tyson, the three

year old lead the donkey over to me (the inn keeper.)

 Of course there was no room

in the inn.

After the third time he said,

  'Mom, pretend there's room.' "

(Images from the movie The Nativity Story - Google Images)

I read that and wept.  I remember being moved to tears that

night as he in his child-like innocence knew that someone

 needed to make room for Mary and Joseph.

May we be that someone!

(This photo was taken a few years later when Tyson,

still as Joseph on the right was now ten.)

The Rest of Our Nativity Story

Mary now has four children, two girls and two boys.

Joseph now has 3 children, two girls and a boy.

The Wise Man now has one girl.

The Angel has graduated from culinary art school.

The babe has gone off to his first year of college.

May we all make room in our

hearts for our Savior and for all of His children that love

and caring and service might be the hallmarks of our

lives here on earth.

We wish you a very 

Merry Christmas!