Yesterday after school, I sat and watched as my daughter did something I thought a little strange. She had torn off a piece of a paper towel and went and laid it across the Baby Jesus in the creche that adorns our sofa table.

At first, I was about to be all choked up with motherly tenderness because I thought she was placing a blanket over Jesus. However, before I could get too far into these sentiments, she informed me that she was doing this because a friend of hers at school had said that she puts a paper towel over Jesus until Christmas Day at which time she then removes it because it is the day of His birth. So, my daughter had decided to do likewise.

I thought about this for a moment and then said to my daughter, “Well, honey, you know we are celebrating Jesus’ birth, that is true, but He has already been born, just as you have. We don’t place a paper towel over you all year, and then on your birthday say, ‘Look, Rachel is here.’ It is an annual celebration of the day you were already born just as Christmas is a celebration of when Jesus was born.” I then suggested that maybe we could use the paper towel as a blanket for Baby Jesus instead. She seemed fine with that, and He now lies in our creche draped in Viva.

Now, lest you think I’m a total spoil sport here, I did have a reason for saying this to her. I started thinking about the implications of covering Him up. Jesus is alive! He was born, He lived here on the earth, He was crucified, and praise His Holy Name, He arose on the third day. He now reigns on high with His and our Heavenly Father.

But Jesus is also still here on Earth. He lives in the hearts of those who have asked Him to do so. He said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” Luke 8:16 says, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” (NIV)

We are to let our light shine, not cover it up. I didn’t want a paper towel over the Baby Jesus in my creche. I didn’t want Him covered up.

It is my fervent prayer that during this Christmas season and always that I will not hide His light in my life to those around me who are lost. Oh how I pray they will come out of the darkness and share in His glorious light.

May your light shine as well.

Sweet Blessings,