Looking for Jesus

In the interest of full disclosure I must write that I am a long time member and former leader of the Atlanta team... That said, I would like to categorically announce that the ATL team is the funniest team that comes to LAMB.   As an example, there was Karen "Bumblebee's" first trip when she wondered who "Alberto" was because he seemed to own all the stores and,she sniffed in disgust, named them all after himself!   When the pandemonium in the van subsided we pointed out it actually was  "Abierto"  (Open) on the door of every store.   Then there was teen-aged Alyssa who solemnly explained, "I didn't not catch the ball.  The ball missed my hand."  And, to be fair, there was my first attempt at speaking Spanish to the Honduran construction workers, shouting "Tengo hombre!" (I have a man!) instead of "Tengo hambre!" (I am hungry!)

Upside down manger

It also turns out the ATL team is Nativity-challenged.  We discovered this a few years ago when Bonnie Underwood and Karen Bumblebee both bought pewter Nativity sets from Giancarlo's.  Bonnie called me, still laughing, to tell me how she thought Baby Jesus was missing.  Turns out she had the manger upside down as her husband Jess had gleefully pointed out!

The next day I got an email from Karen Bumblebee:
"Amanda, I am so bummed.  The manger in my pewter nativity set is missing Baby Jesus!"

I wrote back:  "Turn it over."

She replied:  "Well, OK but what are you going to do with an empty manger?"
Me:  "Turn the manger over!  You are looking at it upside down!"
I immediately copied Bonnie and Jess (and the rest of the team) on this email exchange.

Baby Jesus in the manger

So, I thought the team's Nativity difficulties were over until I just recently received a Facebook message from Pamm Ferrand:
Pamm: "Guess what? In my panic to buy the nativity set I forgot Jesus! And I didn't make a "Bonnie" mistake; it is not there."
(I didn't immediately respond because I know this team so well.)
Next day Pamm writes: "So I did do a Bonnie! Found Jesus!"
Me:  "was He upside down?"
Pamm:  "Worse- he was in Mary's arms! Duh"
Me: HAHAHAHAHAHA

This got me to thinking, though...

How often do we find ourselves frantically looking for Jesus when, in reality, He has been right there all along.  Sometimes you need to turn things around to see Him.  Sometimes all you need to do is look in the most obvious place!  

Amen.