Our Newest Christmas Tradition

I went to our Relief Society dinner and this tradition was shared with all of us. Luckily a friend of mine in the ward is very good with wood and she made me this manger. It's perfect in it's simplicity. The idea is that you bring out the manger and a bag of straw after Thanksgiving. For every good deed done and for every act of service you get to put a piece of straw in the manger. The goal is to get the manger as soft as possible for baby Jesus to be lain it Christmas morning. My kids are on fire with doing good deeds. It's really been a blessing. They also had a lot of fun picking out a doll to represent baby Jesus. Alina takes the doll everywhere and makes sure he always has his blanket.

Here is the poem that goes with this tradition:

The season for giving is coming

Is the Spirit in your home this year?

If the Christ Child were coming to visit

Would He find you have room for Him there?

The way to add Christ to your Christmas

Is to live as He asked us to do.

Feed the hungry and cheer up the lonely

Act with kindness the whole season through.

For each good deed add straw to His manger,

And soften the small Christ Child's bed.

"When you've done it to one of the least of these

You have done it to me," He has said.

Soon your heart will find joy in the giving,

And your manger will fill up with hay.

You'll have room in your home for the Savior

As His love rests with you Christmas Day.