A classic fable tells of a mouse that went into a lion’s cave by mistake. Before she knew what she was doing, she ran over the nose of the sleeping lion. The lion reached out his paw, caught the mouse, and was about to eat her when the mouse said, "Oh, forgive me, king of beasts. I should never have been so presumptuous as to come into this cave if I had known it was yours."

The lion smiled at the poor, frightened little mouse and let her go. Not long after that, the lion fell into a rope net left for him by some hunters, and his roars filled the forest. The mouse recognized the voice, ran to see if she could help him, set to work nibbling the ropes, and soon the lion was free.

So what does this simple fable, attributed to Aesop, a Greek slave who lived in the sixth century B.C., have to do with Christmas? When the mouse set to nibbling the ropes, she simply showed her gratitude by doing what she could with what she had.

God loves us so much He gave His only Son to die for us and set us free. How can we ever thank Him? By "nibbling the ropes."

When the poor widow put her last two copper coins in the temple treasury, when Mary broke the jar of perfume on Jesus’ feet, when the Samaritan took the wounded traveler to the inn and paid for his care, and when Joseph asked for Christ’s body and laid Him in his own family tomb, they were all "nibbling the ropes."

Adventist history is full of examples of people who did what they could with what they had. Our early pioneers sacrificed their property, their money, and their lives to spread the good news that Jesus is coming again soon.

Ellen White tells a story about Joseph Bates (1792–1872), who was convicted he should go to Vermont and preach the "truth" to the people there. Since he didn’t have money to travel, he determined to set out on foot, trusting God to give him strength. When Ellen’s sister heard about the need, she quickly took a housekeeping job. Starting the next morning, she requested her pay in advance and placed the money in Joseph's hand. Ellen’s sister remained at her job, working for $1.25 a week. She did all she could with what she had.

We can never repay what God has done for us, but we can show appreciation by "nibbling the ropes." When a student missionary returns home and sends part of her meager funds to the mission school, she’s "nibbling the ropes." When a family chooses to send the money they would have spent on Christmas presents for themselves to build a church in India, they are "nibbling the ropes." When medical professionals hold free clinics for the poor around the world, they’re "nibbling the ropes."

How will we thank Jesus this Christmas season? Whether our gifts are large like the gold, frankincense, and myrrh the wise men brought from the East, or small like the legendary little boy who played his drum for baby Jesus, we, too, can "nibble the ropes." As we celebrate Jesus’ birth this season, like Aesop’s mouse, let’s do for Jesus all we can with what we have.

Ann Fisher writes from Walla Walla, Washington.