My son’s class played a very clever gift-passing game today during their Christmas party that I thought I should share with you. The kids enjoyed it and the grown-ups enjoyed watching… and a few of us decided that our extended families just might get to play this game very soon.<\/p>\n
Here’s how it works:<\/p>\n
The children were all\u00a0 given a wrapped gift and then listened to a modified telling of the Christmas story from Luke. Each time they heard the word “Right” or “Left,” they were to pass the present in the direction of the word. At the end of the story the children were invited to open their gifts and enjoy what was inside. Once all the second-graders were positive of their rights and lefts, the game took off and they laughed a LOT.<\/p>\n
I think the game might also be fun with grown-ups… except using unwrapped second (or third)-hand gifts. That way you can see what’s coming and going.<\/p>\n
Here’s the story, with thanks to Joan for sharing it with the class:<\/p>\n
In those days, Caesar Augustus decided to count everyone LEFT <\/strong>living in the whole Roman world. Joseph LEFT<\/strong>, taking Mary with him RIGHT <\/strong>to his town of Bethlehem to register.<\/p>\n When they arrived, there were no rooms LEFT.<\/strong> All of the inns in Bethlehem were RIGHT <\/strong>full. There was just nowhere LEFT <\/strong>for them to stay. Finally, someone offered to let them stay RIGHT <\/strong>in their stable.<\/p>\n Mary was pregnant and while in Bethlehem the RIGHT <\/strong>time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a boy RIGHT <\/strong>there. RIGHT <\/strong>there in a Bethlehem stable, the Savior of the world was born. Mary wrapped him with LEFT <\/strong>over strips of cloth and laid him RIGHT <\/strong>in a manger.<\/p>\n Some shepherds who lived RIGHT <\/strong>near Bethlehem, were out at night RIGHT <\/strong>in their fields watching over their sheep. RIGHT <\/strong>then, they saw a bright light. The light was so bright that they had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, a beautiful angel was standing RIGHT <\/strong>in the sky RIGHT <\/strong>above them with his arms LEFT <\/strong>opened wide. The shepherds looked RIGHT <\/strong>at each other and were LEFT <\/strong>feeling very afraid.<\/p>\n Then the angel spoke RIGHT <\/strong>to them. “Do not be afraid. I’m RIGHT <\/strong>here to bring you the good news LEFT <\/strong>for all people. Today RIGHT <\/strong>in Bethlehem a baby has been born, He is the RIGHT <\/strong>one, the one that will save the world. You will know the RIGHT <\/strong>baby because He will be LEFT <\/strong>wrapped in cloths, and laying RIGHT <\/strong>in a manger.”<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>then, a large group of angels appeared RIGHT <\/strong>there, and they said, “Glory to God, and peace be to all people LEFT <\/strong>on the earth.”<\/p>\n The shepherds were LEFT <\/strong>amazed and excited. They had to go RIGHT <\/strong>away to see this baby the angels were talking about.<\/p>\n They LEFT <\/strong>as fast as they could, and soon found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus RIGHT <\/strong>were they angels said they would be. The shepherds fell RIGHT <\/strong>to their knees when they saw Jesus, and were LEFT <\/strong>filled with joy that they had found the Savior. They stayed for a short time and then LEFT <\/strong>. As soon as they LEFT <\/strong>they began shouting RIGHT <\/strong>in the streets and telling everyone LEFT <\/strong>in town about what they had seen.<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>after Jesus was born, wise men traveling RIGHT <\/strong>on their camels noticed a very strange star RIGHT <\/strong>in the sky. They knew that the RIGHT <\/strong>One who would save the world had been born.<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>away King Herod got very worried. He assembled all of the important people LEFT <\/strong>in the area and asked them where this baby had been born. The people replied, “RIGHT <\/strong>in Bethlehem.”<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>then King Herod called the wise men to meet with him RIGHT <\/strong>away. He asked them to go and find the child RIGHT <\/strong>away. \u201cRIGHT <\/strong>as soon as you find Him,\u201d he said, \u201c tell me, so that I can go to Him RIGHT <\/strong>away and worship Him.”<\/p>\n After the wise men spoke to the King, they LEFT <\/strong>to find the baby. They didn’t know RIGHT <\/strong>where the He was, but followed the star LEFT <\/strong>in the east until it hung RIGHT <\/strong>over the place where Jesus was. When they found Jesus, and they bowed RIGHT <\/strong>down and worshiped him.<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>after that, they opened the gifts they had brought Jesus… gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they LEFT <\/strong>to find a place to sleep for the night.<\/p>\n That night the wise men all had the same dream RIGHT <\/strong>as they were sleeping. They were not to go RIGHT <\/strong>back and tell King Herod where they had found Jesus. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he was jealous of Him. So, the wise men LEFT <\/strong>for home another way so that Herod would not know the RIGHT <\/strong>direction they had come from. They also decided RIGHT <\/strong>then that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen.<\/p>\n When the wise men LEFT <\/strong>, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Arise, take Jesus and Mary, and run RIGHT <\/strong>to Egypt. Joseph got up RIGHT <\/strong>away and woke up Mary. She quickly picked Jesus RIGHT <\/strong>up and they LEFT <\/strong>in the middle of the night for Egypt where they would be safe.<\/p>\n RIGHT <\/strong>after King Herod died an angel appeared again RIGHT <\/strong>away to Joseph and told him to go RIGHT <\/strong>to a place called Nazareth. And that’s RIGHT <\/strong>where Jesus grew up.<\/p>\n Pretty cute, don’t you think? Enjoy! And, of course, Merry Christmas!!!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My son’s class played a very clever gift-passing game today during their Christmas party that I thought I should share with you. The kids enjoyed it and the grown-ups enjoyed watching… and a few of us decided that our extended families just might get to play this game very soon. 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