Thanking the Christ Child

When I was about ten years old, our family watched the movie, “Mr. Krueger’s Christmas.” It began with a lonely widower, who was decorating his basement apartment for Christmas. As Mr. Krueger set up the little nativity pieces, the nativity set transformed into the live scene in Bethlehem. There Mr. Krueger stood, gasping as he viewed the mother Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus in a stable. Mr. Krueger fell to his knees to worship the baby Jesus. With tears of gratitude, he thanked Jesus for the times when Jesus had given him courage, comfort and strength…especially when he had lost his dear wife. Mr. Krueger knew Jesus. He loved Him, and he had felt Jesus’s love in specific ways.

As the scene transformed back to the apartment, Mr. Kreuger was kneeling in front of the small nativity set, expressing his gratitude. Soon carolers came by and invited him to join in for the evening, easing his loneliness and providing some Christmas joy.

As a child, I appreciated the reminder that the baby Jesus we celebrate at Christmas is also the infinite and eternal Jesus we rely on day by day. As an adult, life experiences have taught me to know Jesus in a deeply personal way, similar to Mr. Kreuger. You may have had similar experiences. I now find myself standing in front of a picture of our Savior with my own tears of gratitude. I thank Him for the times when He has sustained me, filled me with love, and guided me.

Jesus is real. His ability to comfort, guide and sustain us is infinite and deeply personal, and available to each of us. He loves each one of us. While He gives us eternal life, He also offers sustaining strength throughout our lives.

Christ “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” we learn in Matthew 8:17. In John 12:32 Jesus teaches that “I…will draw all men unto me.”

Through Jesus Christ’s eternal and infinite Sacrifice and Atonement, he will raise us from death, He will give us life eternal, He will take away our sins, and He will comfort and strengthen us in our sorrows, challenges and weaknesses.

I have found that when I am finally ready to lay my burden at His feet–whatever burden it may be–and truly trust my life and will to Him, Jesus takes it. He has been ready to take it all along, but He must wait for us to give it to Him.

Learning to trust Jesus can take time and effort. Amy Wright, a global leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, suffered with a very challenging cancer. As her life hung in the balance during months of grueling therapies, and while some of her friends in the cancer treatment center died, she learned a valuable lesson. “Oftentimes we can find ourselves…waiting upon the Lord. Waiting to be healed physically or emotionally. Waiting for…a miracle. Waiting upon the Lord can be a sacred place–a place of polishing and refining where we can come to know the Savior in a deeply personal way. Waiting upon the Lord may also be a place where spiritual perseverance requires us to exercise faith in Christ by intentionally choosing Him again and again and again.” (Amy Wright, April 2020, “Christ Heals That Which Is Broken”).

This Christ child, the baby Jesus, was appointed before His birth to redeem us, to make intercession for us, to love us, to sustain us.

“For Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

“Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows. My righteous servant [shall] justify many” (Isaiah 53:4, 11).

Jesus Christ persevered in doing the will of His Father, to provide Himself as the Lamb for the infinite sacrifice required. He did all that was needed for our salvation, peace, and eternal hope. When he had done all that was required of Him to save us, He finally commanded from the cross, “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

Mr. Kruger found peace through the gift of this Christ Child, the Prince of Peace. I have found peace as I give my own will to Jesus Christ. May you find the Joy and Light of Jesus this Christmas season and throughout your life.

Beth Wright loves the wonderful people in this Valley. She loves Christmas and Jesus. She is thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.