Jaxon Smith, 9, left a football and teddy bear next to the baby Jesus of a manger scene at First Baptist Church in Mountain Pine. (Submitted)
MOUNTAIN PINE, Ark. – First Baptist Church in Mountain Pine received a sweet surprise on their security camera recently when a young boy stopped at their manger scene.
Pastor Jared Fite shared the videos of the sweet moment on his Facebook. The videos showed Jaxon Smith, 9, leave a football and teddy bear next to baby Jesus. At one point, he yells off screen, “Hey Joey, you see this football and this teddy bear? Don’t touch them. They’re for baby Jesus.”
After arranging the presents around baby Jesus, he kneeled and prayed at the manger scene. He then kissed each person in the nativity, got back on his bike, and went on his way.
“It was pretty cool. He gave Jesus a football and a teddy bear. It was almost like the little drummer boy type scenario, you know?” Fite said. “I posted it on Facebook as kind of an encouragement to people to know that even something as small as a nativity scene can be a witness to somebody.”
In the video, Jaxon was riding a pink and purple bike, which Fite said they later learned was his sister’s bicycle. Jaxon’s had been stolen.
Fite said posting the video on social media led to a community member buying Jaxon a brand-new bike. A few days later, he said Jaxon found the camera and expressed his thanks.
The videos Fite shared on social media also led to him having a conversation with Jaxon’s parents and grandma. He learned Jaxon attends another church, and his grandma even shared with Fite a few photos of Jaxon praying over others.
On another day, Fite said Jaxon even tried to leave his winter coat, laying it on baby Jesus. But he came back a little while later, found the camera, and said, sorry, that his grandma made him come back and get his coat.
“It’s just a super encouraging story that I thought people might like to hear,” Fite said. “I knew it was encouraging for me as a pastor to know that even when nobody is present at the church just a nativity scene, that sometimes maybe we take for granted, is encouraging people and helping people in their walk with the Lord.”