There was singing! There was clapping! There was laughter! And yes, there were even a few tears. It was the annual Preschool Christmas Program at Good Shepherd, and it was truly fantastic.

First down the aisle came the Dinosaur class, our preschool “seniors” who dress up as characters from that first Christmas morning. Mary and Joseph sit next to the manger where a baby (doll) Jesus rests. The Christmas star shines overhead, held up by one of several angels. We even have cows, sheep, and donkeys. The supporting cast is made up of the entire preschool, dressed in festive finery, wearing gold halos. Or not wearing halos. In preschool you get to choose.

For so many of us, Christmas is a time of stress. There is so much to do! On top of already busy lives, the buying, wrapping, baking, and decorating of the holiday begins to feel to like the Worst Chore Ever. One morning I announced, “I hate December.” It was a low moment.

Children don’t feel this way. For them, Christmas is a season of magic and wonder. The lights! The ornaments! The music! The cookies! They drink it all in. They don’t worry about perfect, either. They just like the celebration.

In preschool we get to spend our December focusing on Christmas the religious holiday. “Whose birthday is in December?” we ask at our circle time. “Jesus!” they cheer, so excited for the birth of this little baby. Kids get it. A birthday is a Big Deal.

In our last practice before the show, one of my 2½-year-olds asked, “Will Jesus be there?” We said, “Of course! Jesus is always with us in our hearts.”

Isn’t that the lesson of Christmas? Jesus is with us. Always. He came down to earth as a baby, the fulfillment of God’s promise. He lived with us. He died for us. He is always with us. I am so very grateful that I get that reminder each December. You can’t stay stressed out and grumpy while listening to children standing near altar and belting out “Go tell it out the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!”

Elizabeth Huang
Good Shepherd Lutheran School teacher