When a Child Finds Christ by Evana Sandusky

Every December, I set out two different manger scenes that are geared for our children. I use these manger scenes to share with my kids, Elijah and Jaycee, the story of Jesus and his birth. We go through each person talking about who they are and their role in the Christmas story. Elijah asks questions and gives me feedback that he understands.

But it’s different with Jaycee. She has Down Syndrome and is minimally verbal. It’s hard to know how much she is comprehending. She signs “baby” for the infant Jesus, but that is all she communicates. I want so much for her to understand this story.

One cold December afternoon, we were driving down the road when Jaycee started pointing and signing. As I drove, I slowed the vehicle and turned slightly in my seat to see what Jaycee was so excited about. She had spotted a nativity scene in someone’s yard. She pointed to it and signed “baby.”

I said enthusiastically,

“Yes, that’s baby Jesus. Great job spotting that Jaycee!”

I couldn’t be happier that Jaycee was understanding enough of the birth of Christ from our lessons at home to transfer it to a scene in a yard.

So many times as a parent, you wonder if your children are understanding the message of Jesus. Maybe your child doesn’t have a diagnosis, but they choose not to talk about Jesus. Maybe they seem to be ignoring your attempts to teach them about your faith. Maybe your child is fully grown and seems to have forgotten all about Jesus.

The good news is that if we teach our children about Jesus, we can have hope that one day they will recognize Christ in their life. And that one day may be when you are driving down the road on an ordinary day just before Christmas. And that day will be great!

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  ~Luke 2:10-12 NKJV  

Cite this article: Please update the Accessed or Retrieved date (September 13, 2015).