The Nativity

  “God sent him (Jesus) to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” Galatians 4:5

  The Nativity is finished so I thought I’d share some thoughts that came to mind during the process. At one point I called myself a rebel for knitting outside the pattern, for adapting it, changing it and making it my own. It’s not rebellion, it’s being adventurous! It’s being creative. It’s taking a lesson and building on it with ideas that have made this scene unique. Unique is good! It also enabled me to add elements that allowed a deeper, richer, more personal connection to the birth of Jesus.

  The birth of Christ is the birthplace of grace. Sometimes I wasn’t happy with what was happening so I’d take it off the needles, rip out what was knitted and start again. It leaves me grateful to be granted this very important life skill: the ability to start anew without stressing about having gone astray. Now, if I can only incorporate that into daily living!

  I am also happy that there are mistakes in my work here and there where a stitch went wobbly because the yarn was loose or where the wool split on me. The fact it is imperfect is a way to reflect on the redemptive power of Jesus and a reminder that I am only human, not a machine.

  A black sheep is part of the trio because Jesus welcomes all the “black sheep” into His fold. Being called the black sheep of the family is a derogatory name for a person who doesn’t live up to a family’s standards. Black wool is less valuable because it tends to be coarser and, since it is black, the wool can’t be dyed any other colour. Having this little black sheep included in the Nativity is a celebration and an acknowledgement that this Babe will and can redeem all.

   The sheep pattern was the jumping off point for creating patterns for all the other animals in the menagerie. A sheep can become anything! Add a few stitches here and a few there and voila, it’s an ox! Having knit the figures first also taught me about shaping heads, arms and the like because almost everything about this venture covered new ground. What better place to learn than at the birthplace of Jesus!

  That’s the joy of participating in the Nativity. Coming before Jesus is entering new ground every time.

  There was some time spent on Google looking at other knitted donkeys as well as pictures of camels and oxen to gain some ideas. It doesn't hurt to ask around when questions arise.

  The right colour for the ox was sorely lacking in my wool bin so I used the same wool as for the sheep. A quarter cup of strong coffee created a wonderful dye to paint the yarn with once he was assembled. It made him smell good, too! Makes me glad I’ve ruined many a shirt because of coffee stains! There’s a connection there, too, with Jesus. I am stained yet He came to wash me clean of sin.

  Lastly, I opted not to put a halo on the baby Jesus or Mary even though it caused a bit of a wrestling match…To go with tradition or not? Add a halo to signify the holiness of Jesus, or not? Mary, clad in blue, followed her traditional depictions in art through the ages so why did I feel the halo was unnecessary? It isn't a lack of respect for Jesus. In fact, I am not really clear about this decision. Besides, should I change my mind, the halos can be easily added. (Smile.)

    Replacing the paper Mache scene that got destroyed in the flood was the utmost important task of this holiday season. Even as a non-follower of Jesus, it was important for me to have a Nativity scene to set out as part of my own Christmas decorating tradition although I never really knew why. If I recall correctly, it always filled me with the ghost of hope without understanding where that came from. Maybe that’s why, over the years, I’ve had to make them anew because they were lost, broken or left behind. 

  What a lovely reminder that even though I did not know Jesus, He was present in my life, waiting patiently for the day I would turn to Him at last.

  The Nativity is no longer only a Christmas decoration but represents the fundamental core of this season of joy and hope. That’s why it is the only thing under my Christmas tree.