A story is told about a group of animals that were living together in a stable. There were all kinds of animals: mice, sheep, some chickens, some cows, a donkey, a horse, and even a rat. They lived together as a family, and their stable was their home.

Then one day a little mouse heard a rumor. He heard that someone was coming to their house. In his excitement he jumped on top of the horse and shouted, “Someone is coming to our house.” And then he whispered, as if it were a secret, “Joseph and Mary are coming to our house, and Mary is going to have a baby.”

That story prompts me to ask, Is Jesus coming to your house? As you are about to celebrate the birth of Jesus, ask yourself this question. As we have our parties and exchange gifts, do we pay attention to what we are celebrating? Will the birth of Jesus be at the center of our celebrations?

On the first Christmas, the Lord Jesus “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). That’s Christmas in a nutshell: the Lord Jesus has come into our world and into our lives.

Will we invite him into our hearts? That’s the important question each of us must answer.