I stopped in the thrift store recently, hoping to find a bargain in the vintage glassware aisle. No luck, so I went down the holiday aisle in case there was anything classic there.

I saw a large red Christmas box with wide, clear packing tape criss-crossed across the open top. Peering through, it appeared to be a Nativity Set. There were several figures, a dozen or more, standing and lying inside. They looked like bisque pieces, some as tall as eight inches.

This was not what I was expecting to find. The price tag said $3.99, and it was tempting. But I did not need another Nativity Set. My aunt made and gifted us a lovely set when we got married. I have added a few other three-piece sets of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. I didn’t need this box.

When I was about to leave, I couldn’t stop thinking about that red box. I went down the aisle again, and it was still there, silently urging me to take those figures home. I sighed and decided I just could not leave Baby Jesus at the Goodwill.

So we all came home.

When I ripped off the tape, I was surprised to find not one, but two Nativity Sets. I counted two Marys, two Josephs, two Baby Jesus’, six kings, three shepherds, and an assortment of various animals. Clearing two shelves, I cleaned and arranged the pieces. Glancing at it later, I wasn’t happy with the displays. Something was off. Each set seemed incomplete.

So I started over. I placed all the figures together in one display. The taller kings mingled with the shorter ones. The large donkey knelt with the small sheep. One Mary and one Joseph stood in the center, and the other Mary and Joseph were moved next to a few shepherds, as their friends. I don’t add the baby until December 25.

It was better, but something was still missing. Then I realized that neither set had come with an angel. I gathered up a couple of random angel figures I already had and added them to the grouping.

Staring at this new display, I felt peaceful. I had almost missed the real meaning behind the unplanned, mismatched sets in the red box. Combined with a couple of lonely angels, they were all meant to be together. They became a family.

Isn’t that what we all need? People around us who love, support and acknowledge us? Strangers and friends can come together. We can accept different cultures, different religions, and different ways of life to see that we have more in common than might first be seen. Everyone is looking for the same thing: love. Love for one another, love for ourselves, love from above.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13.

At this time of year, whether we celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas, the message is clear: love one another.

And never pass up the chance to unite an unexpected family.