"Out Standing" In His Field

It's a busy time of year as we count down the days for our trip. Hard to believe that in 4 days we head south. My wife is making dog biscuits for my next door neighbor and my son's dogs. It's just what she does. The pooches appreciate it and they aren't too bad considering the nibble I gave one last night. "Well, these are funny looking crackers, look they have little bits of carrot....." before discovering who they were for. Not bad actually, and all natural. It reminds me of the time years ago, celebrating Christmas at my sisters house before she moved to Colorado. In our family homes, you don't ask, you just open the fridge and go for it.

I was thirsty and grabbed a glass and clinked a few ice cubes into it and opened the fridge and there was a carafe of apple juice. So I fill my glass up and go in to join the festivities. Take a sip and my face froze. Defatted clarified chicken stock in no way tastes like apple juice. Let this be the lesson of the day. Maybe sniff before you pour. Well, everyone got a good laugh out of it anyway.... But I disgress.

The little church I attend has had a tradition for the past 30 years or so of hosting a Living Nativity. We used to have a ratty manger made of scrap wood and dies sheets for costumes. But that was a while ago, Now we have these velvety things and lights and animals and it reminds people of the reason for the Christmas season. People park in the parking lot and come up to where we are and walk around and we laugh and talk and it provides a welcome respite from the commercialization of the malls. We used to borrow 2 llamas and strap pillows on their backs that looks like humps. I am always a shepherd, because I'm not wise enough to be a wise man. Plus the kids all want to pet the animals. The llamas could sometimes be a handful, especially if we were standing out in the snow.

This year we have 2 mangy sheep, a huge goat, and a miniature donkey. I'm the goat holder this year. A goat with a bladder infection possibly. A goat that has peed on my shoes 2 or 3 times...... Which I didn't know about until my co-shepherds started snickering and pointing. Sigh.......  But the show goes on. The children love to pet the goat and always look at me a little funny when I ask them if they have a pet goat at home.

But it's a fun gig for three nights. For many parents it is a reminder of a simpler time. When the holiday wasn't ruled by credit cards and no parking places. It's not glitzy, it's never polished. The children come wide eyed trying to decide which is more appropriate, to go look at "baby Jesus" first or go pet the goat held by the guy with the smelly shoes.

We don't preach, we don't have a gimmick, we don't knock the commercialization of the holidays. We stand in the beauty of the night sky, sometimes in snow, right on a busy 4 lane road and remind people that there is a story here that never grows old. A story of a promise fulfilled. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, whether you believe in the biblical narrative or not, it is still a heck of a story.