Gabriel and the Ghost Light (Alastairisms: the Christmas Edition)

We have been having some fun learning all about the Christmas story this year. Alastair attends a Methodist preschool two days a week and the month of December is all about Christmas. This has led to some interesting discussions at school and that his teachers (thankfully!) are generous enough to share with us. I try to ask as many open ended questions on the ride home as I can to get him to share his perspective on things. To here him tell about the "good king" (Jesus) and the "bad king" (don't remember his name, but you know the one) it sounds like something straight out of Disney or Pixar.

Babies are, of course, big on his radar these days too, which leads to some interesting observations. At school, the teachers told the children that God made Mary and God made Joseph, and asked "Who made Jesus?" Alastair, quite serious, volunteered, "the doctor."

The next school day he learned that Jesus was born in a stable and wrapped in swaddling cloths. His teachers explained about wrapping baby Jesus in the blankets and putting him in the manger to rest. Alastair added, "And he needs a burp cloth!" I'm told that the teachers have a hard time not cracking up because he is so serious and thoughtful when he shares these "insights" with them.

My personal favorite occurred when I came to Christmas Chapel with his class. A pastor from the church came to lead the mini-service and talked to them about the angel Gabriel and the wise men. He broke the story down something like this, "And the wise men saw the biggest light they had ever seen in the sky and they were very frightened." Before he explained about the angel and the "do not be afraid" part, Alastair leaned over to me and said quite gravely, "It's the ghost light." If you aren't familiar with this particular story, I'll direct you to YouTube. I can't help but crack up thinking about Mater and those wise men...

I love watching Alastair learn and process everything he sees. This year his excitement about the holiday truly is the best gift I can receive. It is a blessing.

Merry Christmas Y'all!