By Pastor Randy Fossum

My 2-year-old granddaughter, Louisa, a.k.a. “Lulu,” is commonly seen carrying her baby, her purse and packing a pistol — the latter of which comes as a result of three of her four siblings being boys. She will not hesitate to say “stick em’ up” if you get in her way; perhaps she can go to work for the IRS when she is older … just a thought.

The other day she was playing with her baby, minus the pistol and purse, and proceeded to pile on top of her baby all sorts of things, which prompted a scolding from one of her brothers that she was to be careful and not do that. Piling things on top of a baby doll probably isn’t the best thing to do. It wasn’t made for that. Certainly we wouldn’t want to pile things on top of real babies either; they weren’t made for that. The only exception to that rule pertaining to real babies is that we must pile things on THE BABY born in the manger in Bethlehem because we are indeed CARE FULL.

Besides that, THE BABY in the manger was born for that reason.

The message from the angels to the shepherds was meant also for you and for me, “Do not fear! Go to Bethlehem, go to the manger.” Take your many cares and fears to the manger and pile them on because this little baby has come to take on the power of fear; the fear of living and the fear of dying. Jesus has come to take on our burden of guilt and our bondage to sin.

Pile on the baby Jesus all your weaknesses and your sins, your pain and your anxieties and leave them there. For the child of God we can live day by day knowing that

He is our Immanuel, “God with us,” and all those things that cause us to be care full and to fear have been overcome and cannot separate us from our Savior God’s love and concern,

— Romans 8:31-39.

The hymn writer puts it this way:

“1. I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God;
“He bears them all and frees us From the accursed load.
“I bring my guilt to Jesus To wash my crimson stains
“White in His blood most precious Till not a spot remains.

“2. I lay my wants on Jesus, All fulness dwells in Him;
“He healeth my diseases, He doth my soul redeem.
“I lay my griefs on Jesus, My burdens and my cares;
“He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares.

“3. I rest my soul on Jesus, This weary soul of mine;
“His right hand me embraces, I on His breast recline.
“I love the name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ the Lord;
“Like fragrance on the breezes His name abroad is poured.”
So go ahead, don’t be so care full and pile it on THE BABY.

—Randy Fossum is the pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Austin