finding jesus

Before you go getting all worked up and excited, let me be clear: despite the title of this post, I have NOT experienced any sort of religious epiphany.

Like most good Americans, we pull out our Christmas accoutrements right after Thanksgiving. Unlike most good Americans, this year (and last) we decided to forego a Christmas tree. But that doesn't mean we act all humbug. In fact, we happen to play the most fun pre-Christmas game that I know of.

It's called FIND JESUS (pronounced in that TV evangelist tone, like "FIND JEEEESUS!! FIIIIND JESUS!") and it goes like this:

We have a little nativity scene with small bubble-like wood figures. We set it up but leave out the baby Jesus. Whoever sets up the nativity scene gets the first turn as the Jesus Hider, and that person hides the baby Jesus somewhere in the house.

There are strict rules about the type of place you can hide Jesus. It must be out in the open; no drawers or cabinets or total concealing allowed.

I am so mean, am I not? I first picked up the camera to capture this shot before saving my son from UNDYING THIRST.

When the Jesus Looker finds the baby Jesus, they instantly become the Jesus Hider. They take Jesus and rehide him immediately and without telling the previous Jesus Hider, now the Jesus Looker. The winner is the one who knows Jesus' location on Christmas morning and places him in the nativity scene.

Find Jesus has many great characteristics, but my favorite is probably that it involves players wandering the house muttering, "where's Jesus?... wheeeeere's Jesus?...."

There is one small glitch to this game. It would be easy but ultimately unfulfilling to pretend like you haven't found Jesus when you actually have; then at the last minute (midnight on Christmas Eve) pretend to find Jesus and place him in the nativity scene. We have a strict honor system regarding Find Jesus and I like to think that in the spirit of Christmas, my fellow contestants would never cheat.

Perhaps I'm a sucker for thinking this way. Brett and I have played this game for the past five years. Brett has won every single year. Once, Cal's Mimi and Grandpa played and almost won, but Brett made a last minute, at the buzzer move to retain his championship.

This year is different. This year I set up the nativity scene and therefore had the first turn as Jesus Hider. Brett STILL HASN'T FOUND JESUS. That's three weeks in the same hiding spot, and only one week until Christmas! If victory will be mine, then this is my year.

Of course, Brett was out of town for half of that time. And of course, I am dumb enough to post this photo of Jesus in his current hiding spot.