A Dog’s Christmas!

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19 NIV

Most of us have a nativity set sitting around for Christmas. If your nativity set is like most I’ve seen, you no doubt have a few animals sitting around it. There may be a cow or two, a sheep, even a camel if it is a fancy set! Of course, Joseph and Mary placed Jesus in a manger, which is a feeding troth for animals, so there certainly would have been an animal or two close to the scene.  I wonder if the nativity scene were to take place in modern day America if there may be a puppy dog nearby.  (My yorkie dog would have loved the baby Jesus!)

It shouldn’t surprise us that animals may have witnessed the birth of the Christ child. Jesus was the Creator. He was with God from the very beginning, planning each intricate part of Creation. All creation, with the exception of man, naturally glorifies the Creator by unconditional obedience. A cow does as a cow is supposed to do. A camel is a camel is a camel. You don’t have to train a bird to tweet, it does as it was created to do.

The creation waits in eager expectation for God’s Son to be revealed! This was the Creator! This was their Master, the Inventor of life!

I once read a story about a mother who found her nativity scene continually disrupted.  She would enter the room to find all the pieces in one big pile. She would straighten it, only to find it messed up a few hours later. One day she witnessed her daughter piling the pieces together. When questioned, the little girl replied, “Mommy, it’s Christmas! Everyone wants to be real close to Jesus!”

It’s Christmas! Don’t be surprised that the animals were present at Jesus birth! And keep them close in your nativity! Creation is praising its Creator!

And don’t be surprised if you see a smile on a animal or two on Christmas day!