Oh Baby!

The word baby hangs thick in the air this time of year. Not because of people having children, but rather because the greatest gift ever given was in the form of a little baby. A king, a savior… a baby.

It seems funny, even after all these years of hearing the Christmas story, that the world’s greatest gift was sent in the form of a small, helpless babe. Yet, when we reflect on the Christmas story, we can see- so easily- why God chose to send the savior of the world in the form of a small bundle, lying in hay, in the middle of a smelly manger. Mary and Joseph did not have a freshly painted nursery, with the newest and best gadgets that would surely help them to raise this boy. The didn’t have baby monitors, or pre-made swaddles, or organic baby food. But they had faith. And through their faith was born our hope. A hope for a world full of joy, and peace and love. A hope for our redemption and salvation and grace. All in the form of a baby.

A child. Sweet, innocent, and curious. Full of life, and giggles, and smiles. A child. And upon this reflection of the birth of our savior, I realized that there is so much we can learn from those little hands, and little feet in our lives.

Children…

Aren’t afraid to ask why. They are curious about the world around them, and they aren’t afraid to ask about it. In doing so, their brains are constantly being flooded with new wealths of knowledge.

Love unconditionally. They look at your through rose-colored glasses which only see love. They admire you for the simple things- like cutting up their pizza, or carefully cleaning out a wound.

Look at the world with a sense of wonder. A butterfly emerging from a cocoon. Water trickling down a stream. A spider spinning a web. Grassy hills to roll down. Children find awe in every corner of their lives. They see the beauty and wonder of this world in every blade of grass, and every icicle.

Take their time. When we aren’t rushing them to the next order of business, they like to use every waking minute of their day slowly discovering the joys which that day has to offer. They don’t rush through life missing the small-but incredibly important things.

Trust and Admire. Children don’t question your motives, or wonder if you might be pulling a fast one on them. They are born with an innate sense of faith. They believe what you tell them, until the world shows them they can’t.

Forgive. Have you ever seen two little children fight? One might yank a toy from another’s hand, scream, cry and then hug the person all within a minute. Their hearts are forgiving in every sense of the word. And not only do they forgive, but they forget. Children show ultimate grace.

Don’t see differences. They don’t care if their playmate is a boy or a girl. Short or tall. Fat or skinny. Black or white or red. They don’t care if their playmate can’t talk, or hear, or see. They’re just happy to have someone to sit next to and enjoy life with.

We can teach children so much. We show them how to read, and write. How to share, and how to tie their shoes. We show them how to apologize, and use their manners. But the most beautiful thing about a child is that the harshness of the world has not yet untaught them the most important aspects of life. They hold within them something that cannot be taught. A wonder, an innocence, a peace- It’s no wonder at all why God sent the gift of His son to us in the form of a small baby.