Jesus didn't skip

Every year for advent we do something creative for the count down. A lot of people use chocolate calenders or tree ornaments. In our count down I prepare 24 things that we can make or do with or for someone, that won't take too long but is fun; one per day.(On another day I will post ideas I've had over the years) For now I want to tell you what happened as I was preparing this years idea. This year I have a plan that the 24 tasks will be written on one side of the paper and on the other side will be a potion of a larger picture and when all 24 tasks are done and flipped over we will have pieced together a picture. I didn't have a picture the size I wanted so being the creative me that I am I decided to start drawing. I wasn't really sure what I wanted and I'm kinda in a time crunch, as tomorrow is Dec 1, so I thought if I just start drawing things of Christmas I will have something in the end. First I started with a tree, then I put typical manger scene next to it, just the stable to start with. Then I started drawing in each person in our family and of course Mary Joseph and baby Jesus in a pretty little feeding trough. Everyone was in, I drew some stars at the top and ....... I stopped and looked at the drawing....... by the way I was skipping my devotion time to do this since I was feeling in a rush. Funny thing is Jesus wasn't skipping because he revealed something to me right at this moment as I was taking stock of what I had just begun to draw. There it was, I had roughly sketched my family looking straight at the Christmas tree with Mary, Joseph and Jesus behind us.The stable was so close to the tree that some characters of our family had to be drawn inside the manger scene, but still faced the tree.  At this point I realize I am not happy with what I have just drawn. I am actually kind of stunned as I see it. I try to see how I can re imagine what I am drew... change this person's body and arms, re draw that...I can't. It is very clear; what's been drawn has been drawn. We are so into the Christmas tree that we are not even aware of the birth of our savior. The sentence seems to echo in my mind. It's true of the drawing but is this truly how it is for us? What does this all mean? Do we cancel the Christmas tree?.... I think my family will have mutiny if that is the outcome. Jesus has a message for me in this and I will be asking him to reveal more.

 Jesus I want to face you not the traditions we've made up.