Wrapped with a Bow

It took all of 10 minutes to put away our 2-foot Christmas tree and decorations at the end of the season last year. Although thrilled at the bargain I got on decor at Goodwill, a yearn nagged at me. I wanted a nativity scene to go with the other trimmings. After all, Jesus is the true reason for the season.

As Christmas approached, I began scrutinizing the yuletide decorations at every Goodwill I came across. Ideally, our nativity scene would include a wooden stable, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger. What I found, although wooden, lacked a stable and manger, but It did include Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. 

We purchased the piece with the thought that we could replace it if we found a better option. But this simple nativity scene kept growing on me. It included the star that led the shepherds to Bethlehem to worship the newborn king, an important part of the story. 

Perhaps more significantly, it was wrapped with a bow, symbolizing the gift of God’s love in sending his son to Earth as a baby. That baby would grow and mature and point others to God the father, then suffer death and rise from the grave — all so we could live eternally. A true gift indeed. 

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A Different Christmas

In our tiny home, Christmas tends to be a time of clutter. Our rig rapidly fills with Amazon packages, gifts and cards, giftwrap, empty boxes for wrapping presents, special foods for get-togethers, and more. We have to find areas to stash gifts we don’t want each other to see, as well as all the extra items that make their way into the rig.

Our portable Mr. Heater propane heater* comes out of storage and takes a prominent place in our main living area to keep us warm on chilly mornings and cool nights. Rather than rehanging our jackets after every use, we drape them over dining room chairs or an arm of the couch.

If overnight travel is involved (as is often the case since we have a safe place to leave Tagalong and our wedding anniversary is Dec. 29), it might mean getting our suitcases down from the loft. And that means moving all the Christmas gifts out of the way to get to the suitcases, and then replacing the gifts. It’s a juggling act.

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Despite all the inconveniences and distractions this time brings to tiny home dwellers, it brings a lot of blessings too. Change and excitement fill the air. Christmas lights adorn our rig and those of our neighbors. Kindness emanates from our fellow RVers. We get to spend the holidays with family and friends, even if we can’t host them like we used to. 

Although our Christmas looks different than it did when we had a sticks-and-bricks home, it’s still a time of celebration, appreciation, and reflection. We may not have a lot of room, but there wasn’t much room in the inn where Jesus was born either. Thankfully, that didn’t keep God from sending the gift of Christmas wrapped with a bow. 

You might also like Holiday Reflections from an RV.

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