Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Alyssa Herrig.
My church’s Vacation Bible School growing up included two important things I looked forward to each summer. The first was America’s favorite cookie…the Oreo. We never had them growing up, so I always hoped at VBS that someone had donated them for snack time. The second were Nativity pieces that we painted and completed. We painted a piece each year, so by the completion of our years of VBS, we had a full set plus the stable.
As I look at the set I completed over 25 years ago, I still remember the excitement of craft time that week during the summer. Each day we did one coat of paint and finished with the antiquing. The joy of creating these masterpieces has thoughtfully made its way back into my CYF teaching and ministry. I have helped children paint their own church keepsakes throughout the years, and I hope that they look back fondly on the time they created them.
Like God’s people that were told of the coming Good Shepherd, we too wait in anticipation of Immanuel. As we read through the story of Luke, we remember that God’s people were told by the prophets of a coming Messiah many generations prior to Jesus’ arrival. The Nativity pieces I created through the years taught me patience and the excitement of waiting for what was to come. Like our ancestors of faith, we join them as ordinary people, embracing hope, joy, peace and love as we wait for the birth of our Savior. May we continue to find comfort in the waiting.