Loving on Baby Jesus!

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I had another very cool, somewhat absurd thought the other day.

My two year old has started coming into our bed at night.  Both my husband and I are pretty good sleepers, so we don't always notice when this happens, we just end up finding a big hairy head snuggled under our noses.  She is a snuggler!

A lot of the times when this happens, I just get annoyed.  Although super sweet now, we have a 12 year old who has done this almost his entire life, and he is just now starting to sleep in his own bed all night.  SO I totally see where this might be heading, and it is NOT sweet.

My two year old is also going through these phases where she is desperately trying to be independent and make her own choices.  Examples of this behavior are how she wants to pour her own glass of milk, buckle her self into her car seat, get her own clothes on, and any number of arduous everyday tasks.

Waiting for her to make these choices, or watching her try to do something for herself can be TORTUOUS for me, usually because it just takes so much longer than if I just do it for her.

But I realize this is important for her.  When I can spare the time, I try to be gentle and patient and let her do things herself.

However, one day, I was meditating on those years of Jesus that we know very little about and I started to wonder.   I wonder if Jesus climbed into bed with Mary and Joseph?  There is a good chance he probably was always sleeping between them - I mean did kids even have their own beds back then?!?!

SO I started to imagine what that must have been like for Mary.  To have JESUS snuggling you in your bed.  Sweet little curly haired GOD all rubbing noses with you all night.  I honestly couldn't think of anything more delightful.  It really wasn't that hard to imagine for me at ALL either, because I had a sweet little curly haired child in my bed with me at that very moment.


WHICH took me to a whole other level.

I wonder if sweet little Jesus wanted to pour his own glass of milk?  I wonder if sweet little Jesus tried to climb onto his donkey all by himself?  I wonder if sweet little Jesus insisted on putting his own sandals on his own feet - on the wrong feet?  I wonder if sweet little Jesus kissed his Mommy's boos boos when she got a blister from a new pair of shoes?  (Okay scratch that one, Mary probably never tried to walk around in crazy heels that totally have no business on the feet of a busy mom. - My bad.) I wonder if sweet little 3 year old Jesus stalled going to bed at night, by telling his mother He loved her 5 million times?

Seeing my crazy, demanding, desperately independent two year old daughter as sweet little Jesus, has taken this whole Advent season to a whole new level.  Imagining what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph to literally raise the SON OF GOD as their own child must have been AMAZING and humbling.

Although I am sure they never had to discipline Jesus - I mean he is perfect for his sake - they must have had to teach him things.  They must have had to help him do things that he was too young to do for himself.  Or even more amazing, they must have had to wait patiently for him to try to do things on his own, and then lovingly convince Jesus to let them help him. 

They must have had to still LOVE him as a parent loves a child, with astounding patience and gentleness.   I just wonder.... What was that like????

Wow.  Thank you God for helping me to see these years as I raise YOUR CHILDREN, in light of what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph to RAISE YOUR SON.  Help me to have the patience and gentleness as they did and help me to always remember that these children are GIFTS from you!

AMEN!