Nothing else needed

This year I saw a lovely idea on my blog friend Sandi's blog, Rose Chintz Cottage.  You will find more than one lovely idea there.  Sandi has some of the most beautiful decorating ideas you will see, and Rose Chintz Cottage is well worth visiting every week for Sandi's Tea Time Tuesdays.  You would also love Sandi's Christmas blog, Christmas Pudding, which is the most beautiful Christmas blog I have seen.

Back to the idea I saw -- it was very simple.  In front of her nativity scene, Sandi had placed a little New Testament open to Luke 2.  Why have I never thought of doing this before?  The little Bible is a powerful reminder that the scene depicted in the rustic stable is a true account.  It isn't a fairy tale.  It really happened, to real people, to make a difference in the lives of real people.

So, as you can see above, I found a little New Testament on my bookshelves, bookmarked it to Luke 2 and placed it in front of our creche.  The stable was built by my father many years ago, and the little figures were given to us with it.  I hope someday to replace the figures with some nicer ones, but for now this is what we have.

Ever since doing this, I have been thinking that the scene "needs"something else.  A star, maybe (not a bad idea; Sandi has one, and after all the star is a big part of the story); or some greenery and maybe a small candle or some white lights.  I may add some of those things next year, as I think they might add to the specialness of the scene.  But as I thought about it from day to day, I was reminded that nothing else is needed.  This depiction points out that Jesus came to earth as a Baby, to grow up, to die on a cross for our sins, to make a way for us to be right with a holy God.  He was truly born to die.  The Gospel story is more than enough.  We only need to accept that free gift of salvation to become part of God's family.  Nothing else needs to be added.