Having read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in her class, my daughter decided to re-enact Jesus’ birth. Casting herself as an angel—complete with wings, dress, and sparkling shoes—she made her brother, her lone recruit, a shepherd. Firstborn to the core, she gave Micah his directions and began reciting her lines with passion. Micah, however, was a little distracted. More sheep than shepherd, he bent down and began playing with the lights on her princess shoes. Kicking away his 4 year old fingers, she sternly whispered, “Micah! Stop it!” and then, resuming her angelic expression, she finished her lines.

The hustle and bustle surrounding Christmas can often distract us from the real meaning of the celebration. We can forget to focus on Jesus as we become sidetracked with the trappings of this world. Our attention becomes fixed on everything but the heart of the story (Matthew 1:23).

I enjoy pondering what it might have been like to quietly observe the shepherds just moments before the angels’ arrival. What sounds carried across the night air? Were the shepherds thinking in silence, exchanging stories of days gone by, or drifting into a restful lull? Was the air heavy and still or crisp with a light wind?

The hope for humanity changed that night, and heaven rejoiced with the reality. Redemption had come! (Galatians 4:4-5).

Like a seamless performance, we want everyone to say their lines and follow our directions—even God. We wrongfully equate redemption with everything looking right (Isaiah 53:3). The beauty of Jesus’ birth, however, shines brightly due to the greater beauty of His death (Ephesians 1:7).

There is no one scene that stands alone in our lives; rather, they all fit together in the greater story of God’s redemptive work.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Titus 3:1-11