It was a beautiful Living Nativity during the Rockettes Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

The whole program was SPECTACULAR, and yet the Nativity scene I did not expect and that brought a tear to my eye, as I appreciated reverence and realness to the season. Yes, was beautiful to hear the scriptures and see these devout scenes, singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing in a public presentation, including an angel,  Maji and camels and they spoke of gifts for a King, to be a Healer. The people clapped, I felt HOPE in that too, people hearing a message of HOPE. 

Christmas in NYC is special, the crisp weather and colorful decorations (even if the main tree wasn’t yet lit until later this week,  it WAS impressive to see). It’s ALL a sight to behold, but wow lots of people and at Bryant Park I was balking at the $5 apple cider donuts but realizing that location location location is what people are paying for, not just the donuts. And as we DO bite into the commercialism too much, and me seeing Santa’s on every bike-taxi plus 40 more on stage at Radio City, we puff Christmas into flossy candy strewn everywhere like tinsel… 

An overload in stimulus has to be counteracted with good walking shoes and not trying to take it all in. Grateful I’ve been to NYC recently and this felt like I could just galk at everything and not be a super tourist indulging. So it’s OK if you simply take in that Christmas in New York City, or anywhere, as a display of a Christmas that is felt and enjoyed as a season of LOVE. 

I sat in Radio City’s first floor section thinking about Annie in the 1980’s movie scene for the time they got to go to Radio City, and her amazement,  which the place has amazed for almost 80 to 90 years. Vintage classic, I love the art deco, thinking of 40’s fancy ladies resting in the powder room’s comfy green chairs. This is the first time I’ve seen the Rockettes perform, although I’ve been on a couple on tours of the building previously. It was unmistakably amazing to see the Rockettes timing and sound of the tapping and especially that slow toy soldier domino effect of being knocked down and holding each other. Also, so cool was the color images in projection all throughout the theatre walls, THAT was unexpected and not anything you could appreciate fully unless you sat under it, even fake snow… There were drones in flight, and Santa shadows that moved in independence, and the fireworks and Santa’s sleigh that zoomed right off the stage into the sky. Spectacular. 

We rode with friends into the city after lunch at a familiar place and then went back home via a train after a long day. I still remember the little things of the day,  things to remember and things to forgive and forget. Isn’t that like Living IN a Nativity ourselves? Taking in the majesty of Jesus being born, then living out our days as Jesus would, noticing details, helping. Living IN the moment. 

Living IN Nativity was seeing the smart little girl at lunch knowing her colors, especially PURPLE. Her parents didn’t mind her gibber-gabbering to me and I gave her my little plastic turtles that I fished out from my purse, she will have more fun with them than me. They reminded me of my friend who has a t-shirt with the phrase “I taught the turtles to sing” referring to God majesty in creating. And living in the moment was seeing an inquisitive little boy at the entrance of the theater trying to re-hook the ribbon separator, I realized that I could help him learn how it worked while we waited. When I see people whom I will never see again, I wonder if in Heaven we will run into each other. 

And when we were hightail hiking down to the train, all needing the decompression we all did from an over-extravagent day, I appreciated reverence of the Living IN Nativity as I saw particular shops “randomly” next to each other display “free gift” and “Grace” Cafe… yes… It was a reminder to me to give forgiveness to scenes where I felt hassled and ask forgiveness for when I hassled the scene. For Jesus with living out of the Nativity scene gave us grace as a free gift.

Living IN Nativity is letting God fix things, but you watch the events unfold like the unbundled Christmas tree limbs falling down into place…

Living IN Nativity is being THANKFUL, reverent, real.  Living IN Nativity is living in the moment, and being in timelessness of finding the LOVE of the season, in ALL seasons,  gifted before tracking time ever began. 

Living IN Nativity is LOVE!

Amen and Spectacular!

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Luke 2: 8-14, KJV. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.