What do you think of when you hear the word Christmas or the word Advent?  For me, I think of music.  I think of all the advent songs and christmas carols.  I remember when I was young, my parents had a record player.  (I know some of the younger people might wonder what that is.)  As soon as thanksgiving was past, our house would be filled with the deep rich sound of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing the christmas songs.  My parents later got me a christmas cd by Tennessee Ernie Ford, and for me, after thanksgiving, it rarely leaves my cd player in my car.  but on the record we would listen to, my favorite song was “The friendly beasts.”  I loved it because my mind would take me back to that starry night and I could picture Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in the stable, and I could see the animals there.  and as each had their own verse, I could picture them standing/sitting close to Jesus and looking at him as they told their part of the story.  The donkey, shaggy and brown,  who gave his back to mary on the road to Bethlehem, the cow all white and red who gave his manger for a bed, the sheep with curly horns who gave his coat/wool for a blanket warm, the dove from the rafter high who cooed him to sleep so he would not cry.  Each in their own way gave a gift.  it wasn’t much, but it was what they had to give.  can I say the same thing this Christmas?  can you say the same thing this christmas?  are you giving a gift to Jesus?  are you giving what you have to give?  could you give more?  could I give more?  We can all take a page from the friendly beasts and give whatever gifts we are able.  what would your verse say?

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