Have you ever had one of those days where everything should feel peaceful and holy… but instead it feels like a circus?
Well, welcome to Week 2 of A Nativity Story. Check it out (video starts 12:25).

This week’s video gave us quite the scene: Mary and Joseph quietly admiring baby Jesus… when suddenly—chaos.
Eli the sheep has wandered off again, the mischievous elf is up to no good, and poor baby Jesus gets jolted awake.

And honestly?
It feels a little too real.

Life rarely looks like a serene nativity set.
Most of us are more like Eli—wandering, noisy, a bit unpredictable, and occasionally causing a commotion right when things were supposed to be calm.

But here’s the part that gets me every time: the shepherd comes back holding Eli on his shoulders and says,
“You know I’d go to the ends of the earth for you, little guy.”

And Joseph pauses, looks out at us, and says,
“This month… we get to remind everyone that Jesus has come to gather His flock… even the loud ones… and carry them close to His heart.”

That’s the whole gospel right there.
Jesus doesn’t wait for us to get our act together, quiet down, or wander back on our own.
He comes looking.
He lifts us up.
He brings us into one flock.
And then?
He holds us close. Really close.

I love that.

Most of us have been “the loud sheep” more than once.
We’ve taken the scenic route through life.
We’ve lost our footing, felt overwhelmed, or wandered farther than we ever meant to go.

But our Shepherd never shrugs and says, “Oh well.”
Instead, He searches until He finds us.
He scoops us up—not with frustration, but with affection.
And He carries us right next to His heart, where we can finally hear His steady, loving rhythm again.

Maybe this Christmas you feel a little lost.
Or tired.
Or like you should be doing better spiritually than you are.

Let me gently say this:
You are not meant to walk alone.
You can be carried.
You are loved—right through the wandering.

Christmas is the story of a Shepherd who became a sheep… so that every sheep could come home.

So this week, take a deep breath.
Picture yourself—like little Eli—resting on His shoulders.
Let yourself be gathered, lifted, united, and held close.

And may His heartbeat become the rhythm of your Christmas season.

Blessings and grace, friends.
You are dearly loved by the Shepherd who knows your name.