I (Carol) remember, as a child, playing with the Christmas Nativity scene. My brother Ken, sister Donna, and I each eagerly (and sometimes impatiently) awaited our turn to arrange the manger scene under the tree just the way we pictured it.

I always placed the sheep near the front, close to Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. The sheep were fairly small and seemed to belong close to the center of the scene, close to where others could keep an eye on them.

Sheep do not have ways to protect themselves like some other animals do — no loud roar like the lion, no poisonous bite like the snake, no fast legs to run like the cougar. Sheep huddle together in a group for protection. They need someone to watch over them, to keep them from doing foolish things like wandering off or getting into trouble — sort of like us.

I like the way the Bible passage from the book of Luke talks about shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night. And in Psalm 23, we see a comforting picture of Jesus as our Shepherd. He provides all that we need. He helps us rest in calm places. He renews our souls. He watches over us and cares for us.

This Advent and Christmas season when we look at the Nativity scene, let’s be glad and thankful that Jesus our Lord cares for us as the kind and good Shepherd.