Sunday, December 21, 2025

Two Babies in a Manger

Marie Pemberton lost her four-year-old son Jeremy to leukemia. Her son had spent a lot of time playing with a neighbor boy named Chris. After the funeral, little Chris went up to Marie and asked where Jeremy was. Marie didn’t want to explain to him that he had died, so she said, “Ask your mother, Chris. She can explain it better than I can.”

Six months later, it was Christmastime. Marie had been depressed because this would be her first Christmas without Jeremy. One day she heard a knock on her door. It was Chris’ mother, Ellie Martin, who invited Marie to come to her house to see their Christmas tree. “And I want to show you something else that you’ve just got to see.”

Marie followed Ellie to her house, and down to the basement den where she showed her their newly decorated tree. Then she said, “Now take a look at this nativity scene.” She pointed to two baby dolls under a blanket in the manger. “Why are there two baby figures under the blanket?” Marie asked.

Ellie explained, “Do you remember last summer when you sent Chris back home to ask me where Jeremy was? I told him Jeremy had gone to be with Jesus. When we set up the nativity scene, I placed the Christ child in the manger. Chris watched me, and then ran to get another doll and tucked it in alongside him. “When I asked him why, he said, ‘I remembered what you told me. Jeremy is with Jesus now.’” (Marie L. Pemberton, “A Child Shall Lead Them.”)

Chris’s childlike faith brought assurance to a grieving mother, who needed to be reminded that Jeremy was in the arms of the Lord. Jesus came from heaven to earth to make a way for us to be with Him in heaven. He said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). When followers of Christ die, we will go to that place that He has prepared for us, and we will also get to meet Jeremy, who is with Jesus now.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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