Over the last few weeks a tiny reminder of what the Christmas season is about has been found by people all over town.

Small stones with the baby Jesus and “Luke 2” painted on them have been left at different locations in Selma.

“At first I wasn’t sure what it was,” said Amber Lyon, who found one of the stones at First Baptist Church on Dallas Avenue. “It was just a little rock sitting on the step, and when I looked at it, it was just a painting of baby Jesus wrapped up with a scripture reference under it.”

Lyon, who is the preschool and children’s director at First Baptist Church, said it meant a lot to find the stone just sitting there.

“It was just a sweet reminder of what a precious time this is. It almost brought tears to my eyes that somebody would think to do something like that,” she said. “With all the bad that we hear going on, it’s so nice to see somebody do something kind for others and really get behind and get back to the true meaning of Christmas.”

Luke 2 tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger,” read Luke 2, verses 11 and 12.

The stones have also been found at New Live Oak Cemetery, the post office, schools and other places in town.

Lyon said she knows who is placing the rocks around town, but she didn’t want to give up their secret.

“It’s kind of like they want to be a secret Santa or a Christmas angel just to spread the joy and the real meaning of Christmas that people might not necessarily know or remember why we celebrate the season,” she said.

A grandmother and two of her grandchildren are the ones painting the rocks and putting them out for people to find. But their secret is safe.

“We all agreed that we would work on these and take no credit for putting these out,” said the grandmother, who wanted to remain anonymous.

She said her granddaughter, who is six years old, and her grandson, who is 10 years old, are helping her. She paints them, and then she takes them around town to share the stones with the community.

“She said she hopes somebody finds that rock and looks that scripture up so they will know about Jesus,” she said. “For a very young child she looked at that rock, and she knew what she wanted somebody to get out of finding that stone.”

She said it has been something fun for her and her grandchildren to do during the Christmas season to give everyone a small reminder of what this time of year is about.

“She’ll take those stones and get down, and she’ll put that hay down. And she might kiss the stone and put it down and turn around and look at me,” she said. “I’ll be sitting in the car, and she’ll be grinning really hard. I have gotten as much out of that as anything to watch her try to sneak around and put those stones out.”

She said her grandchildren have put nearly 60 stones out so far since Thanksgiving.

“They’re putting them out quicker than Nana can paint them,” she laughed.

“It’s a message to some, and it is a reminder to others.”