Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Donkey's Dream...Christmas Book Activity: Day 20



My little man worked hard on today's project after church today.



He looked serious and grown up in that clip-on tie.

I had to just sit back and watch him for a while...
I could easily envision him as a Father,
working hard for his family some day.



He'll be great at whatever he grows up to do,
and he'll enjoy his work, because that's the kind of person he is,
just like his Daddy.



Here is the sweet little "tea bag" donkey that we made to go along with our story
A Donkey's Dream.

We printed an outline of a donkey that we found online onto card stock.
Then we glued on bits of tea to make his fur,
along with the blanket, roping, and eye that you see here.

Guy glued his donkey to his paper and told me not to take it off,
because it was a special donkey.



The donkey in A Donkey's Dream is special too.

He has the unique privilege of sharing Mary's burden during her long journey to Bethlehem.



As they travel, the donkey dreams that he is carrying
many special things: a city, a ship, a fountain,
a rose, and finally, a lady full of heaven.



I love the symbolism in the Donkey's dreams.

I love how it looks like Mary's dress is truly made of ethereal material.

I love when Mary says to the donkey,
"Come...See what we have carried all this way, you and I."

++++

This story causes me to ponder another donkey in the scriptures,
the one that carried Christ into Jerusalem
on His way to perform the ultimate act of sacrifice for us.

When I think of someone riding a donkey,
I think of someone in a lowly state,
but during Biblical times,
riding a donkey was more of a sign of privilege.

Was the Lord using this symbolism to show us that the donkey's burden was Royalty?

For me, this small parallel at both the beginning and end of his life,
is a reminder
that we celebrate His birth,
because of His death,
because of the Atonement,
and because of His Resurrection.

At Christmastime, we celebrate not just the birth of a baby,
but the entrance of the King of Kings into this world, and all that it means to us.


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