Stella is a very imaginative kid. She's always coming up with new games to play or solutions to different problems. Like today for instance, she was playing on the stairs and saw a ball on top of the fridge she wanted to get down. So, she grabbed another ball and, with one throw, managed to knock the other ball she wanted off the top of the fridge! This kid isn't even three and she thinks of these things all by herself!
One of her most recent games has been pretending to be Mary, the mother of Jesus. For Christmas we gave Stella a gift from an old friend...one we've held onto since before she was born. It is an interactive, kids nativity set and Stella has literally not stopped playing with it since Christmas Day. She makes all the characters from the birth of Christ talk to each other...this morning Mary and the Baby Jesus went shopping for food in a toy SUV while the rest of the cast waited for their return...hysterical! So, we are sure Stella has been inspired by her hours of play with this precious set to actually pretend to BE Mary. She carries around a doll, who is Jesus, and either Tim or I play Joseph. We walk through the house and Stella tells us what to do (she's very controlling, just like her mother). Her favorite thing to do is to pray over her baby; she even puts on a head covering - usually she uses a white laundry bag which hangs in our back hallway.
I know it's just a silly game to her, but I hope the story of the birth of Jesus is setting in to her heart and her mind. In the meantime, though, I am just incredibly grateful God sent ME a child like Stella...she makes me laugh, she is so bright and creative, and already her light shines so brightly in a dark world!
"Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:15-17
"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16
Hi Jenny. It's Amy Gordon Stokes--formerly Amy Bradford. I wrote the poem in the nativity set you mentioned, and I did some concepting and development for that playset. Megan Driesbach sent this link to her mom, who advised me on the project, and she (Martie) sent it to me. Small world. I enjoy hearing about how God has used/is still using it to speak to young children. It means more to me now that I have a son of my own (20 months). Our first Christmas together prompted a lot of thinking on Mary (HOW did she do it? all that travel!) ... so I relate to Stella in that. Little Stella sounds like quite the quick one--loved the ball story. Wishing you well in all the roles you surely play. Sincerely, Amy
ReplyDeleteAmy! Thank you so much. Mrs. D. mentioned she was going to send the link to you. Your work and the work of others on that set has really blessed our family! Stella is in love with it and uses it daily...since December and she's still going strong.
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