“Are they here yet?” Grandma called from the kitchen. “The cinnamon rolls are almost done.”

“I see the truck coming up the lane,” Grandpa answered, putting down the newspaper he had been pretending to read for the last half hour. He rose from his recliner.

Grandma scurried out of the kitchen, smoothing out her flour-covered apron. The two stood at the window, one on each side of their Christmas tree, watching the newer Ford pickup pull up in front of the house.

“Oh, Josh’s growing a beard!” Grandma exclaimed as their son stepped out of the pickup into the crunchy snow. A woman dropped out of the other side, then turned around to release their grandchild from his car seat.

“Look how much Kevin has grown since last year!” Grandpa rushed to the door, pulled it open, and ran down the recently cleared sidewalk. Grandma followed close behind.

The five exchanged greetings and hugs until Josh pointed to the open front door. “Let’s all get inside where it’s warm.”

Chattering happily, they settled themselves in the living room.

“Mom, I think that’s your buzzer went off,” Mary said quietly to Grandma, who was busy cuddling Kevin. “Never mind, I’ll get it.”

Mary slipped into the kitchen and pulled the rolls out of the oven. Moments later, she reappeared in the living room and put the tray of coffee and rolls on the side table next to the couch.

Josh interrupted what he was saying to grab a roll and a cup. “Hot coffee and hot rolls!” He smiled at his mother. “Just what I need. The heater in that truck works fine to warm the outside, but this heats me up inside.”

After supper, Grandma brought down a box labeled “Nativity.” Even Kevin, under Grandpa’s supervision, helped unwrap the ceramic pieces.

Mary held the figure of the baby, admiring the details. “You did a wonderful job creating these, Mom. Even his little fingers.”

“Thank you. It was a lot of work, but I had fun doing it.”

Josh put his shepherd in front of the open shelter Grandpa had built. In short order, each piece was placed in its proper location where it resided every year. Even Kevin joined in the silence that followed, while memories floated through the minds of the adults—memories of Christmases both happy and sad.

Grandma wondered what Kevin was thinking. Did he remember what she had told him last year about how special this was?

The tradition created with Josh’s first Christmas Eve was supper, setting up the nativity and then the opening of the presents.

The family settled into their chairs while Kevin retrieved packages from under the tree. He started with the ones on the outside, taking each to his mother. Mary read the label to him, and he delivered it with great fanfare. The ones with his name, he carefully put by his chair. Laughter filled the room as he bowed to each recipient, including to his own chair.

When the space under the tree was empty, it was time to begin opening. Some presents were practical. Others were intended for fun. Grandma opened two 1000-piece puzzles, a pair of Christmas socks, and a gift card for the grocery store.

Kevin ran over to her as she opened a card that appeared to be handmade by a child. Inside were carefully drawn out the letters that spelled, “I LOVE YOU GRANDMA.” She reached out and pulled him close. “I love you, too, Kevin.” For almost a minute, he sat in her lap, then he ran back to his own gifts.

Opening Josh’s presents revealed a pair of Western boots, a passenger car for his Lionel train set, socks, and a gift card for his favorite restaurant.

Josh held up the car. “Thanks, Mom and Dad. How did you find one to match my set?”

“Well, we’ve given you something for that train since you were Kevin’s age. We have a supplier,” Grandma said, “but it’s a secret.”

As Josh reached for Kevin’s card, the boy ran over and watched a smile fill his father’s face. They shared a hug.

Grandpa received a wallet to replace his well-worn one, at least twenty years old; a pocket knife; a pair of warm socks; and a gift card for the hardware store.

When the pocket knife appeared, Josh explained, “Sorry I broke your old one. I know it was special, but this one is the same make. I hope it will last as long.”

Opening Grandpa’s personal handmade card from Kevin brought the boy to the older man. A hug followed.

Mary opened packages containing a wooden rolling pin, a not-quite-new portable sewing machine, socks, and a gift card for the sewing store.

“Grandpa? Did you make this rolling pin?”

He smiled and nodded. Woodwork was his occupation now that he was retired.

Then Mary turned to Grandma. “You really shouldn’t have given me your new machine, Grandma. I …”

Grandma interrupted. “Nonsense. I didn’t really need it. When I took my old one to be repaired, all it needed was a good cleaning. And I can’t sew on two machines at once.”

Mary gave Grandma a big hug. “Thank you.”

Kevin’s card was opened with the same fanfare as the others.

Then it was the child’s turn.

Kevin’s eyes lit up like the Christmas tree when his carefully wrapped package contained a model Lionel caboose. He already had some track, the engine, and three cars. Each Christmas and each birthday, he became the owner of a part of his father’s vintage train set.

For a moment, he clasped the caboose tightly in his little fist, then he laughed and ran over to the Nativity. He studied the figures before carefully placing the caboose in front of the manger. The only sound in the room was a short gasp from Grandpa.

Kevin ran back into the family group and attacked the next package by his chair.

Everyone watched while he eagerly ripped paper and ribbon from his presents. He exclaimed as he found a Lego set, a coloring book with markers, a beginning-to-read book about farm animals, and a pair of socks with chickens on them. He held up the socks.

“Everyone gets some kind of underwear every year,” Grandpa noted.

With wrapping paper strewn around the floor, all the gifts opened, and everyone thanked, Grandma began issuing instructions. “Josh, pick up the wrapping paper. Mary, I think there are more rolls in the kitchen. Grandpa, …”

But he was already out of his chair. He walked over to the Nativity, picked up the caboose, and returned it to Kevin. “This doesn’t belong there, son.”

The silence grew louder as the child’s face fell and tears appeared in his eyes.

“But … I wanted … to share it … with Jesus.”

Another silence. Grandma stood up, stepped over to Grandpa, and touched his arm. Then she knelt in front of Kevin, holding his caboose.

“It’s OK, honey. You can put it back in the Nativity.”

With a quick look of disapproval at Grandpa, she led the child back to the table with the figurines. He put the caboose in front of the manger, then looked at Grandma with question marks in his eyes.

Grandma gave him a hug and turned back to the others.

“Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, Immanuel, God with us. We like to stress the ‘with,’ because God came down to live among us. But the important word, I think, is ‘us.’ ” She focused her attention on the side table.

“Back then, this was what they had, what they knew. We have sheep, too, and stables, but this is not our world. In our world, in the world of ‘us’ today, we have trains with cabooses. We have a lot that they didn’t. And if this Nativity is going to represent us in our time, then why not have things that we know and love?”

Nobody spoke as Grandma returned to her chair, stared for a moment at her gifts, then picked the puzzle with the horses, and put it behind the Nativity.

“They had horses then, too. Not Mary and Joseph, but they had a donkey. At least, we like to think they did. The Bible doesn’t say.”

Josh picked up his passenger car and placed it next to the caboose. “Maybe the family can take the train back to Nazareth. And the donkey can ride in the baggage car.” He hesitated and his eyes lit up. He touched the car he had just received. “I guess I know which one Kevin will get for his birthday.”

Mary looked at her “new” sewing machine, but she picked up the gift card. Placing it between the wise men, she explained, “Mary is going to need to do some sewing to keep up with a growing boy. One of the wise men brought gold, but a gift card is easier to carry.”

Everyone turned to Grandpa. His lips turned from curving downward to upward. “OK. I get it. ‘Us.’ In our time.” He picked up the pocket knife. “And a boy will need a knife to carve with.”

He put the knife under the manger. “But I get it back when we put the Nativity away.”

That’s how Christmas traditions are born.

We don’t usually put our gifts around the Nativity set, and we shouldn’t limit bringing our gifts to Jesus to one day a year. Of course, our gifts do not have to be physical. A smile or a hug or a prayer is a gift to someone who needs one.

For consideration:

General Questions

1) How does this story follow its Scripture?

2) How does this story expand its Scripture for you?

3) What is the message of this story?

4) How does the message apply to us today?

Specific questions

5) Why did Grandpa object to Kevin’s caboose in the Nativity?

6) Are there traditions that should not be changed?

7) What is a tradition you and your family have created?

8) How would you respond if someone tried to change it?