With the children’s constant bickering, pretty packages and a sweet-smelling tree don’t come close to filling the McDonald home with the true spirit of the first Christmas. Then Mom remembers an old tradition of building a soft bed for Baby Jesus one straw at a time. Each time someone secretly does something nice for another family member, he or she gets to add a single straw to the manger. Soon the children's quarreling and negative feelings subside and the homemade crib is overflowing. But for one family member, a required act of kindness becomes more than he can take.
Grandpa Jim is scheduled to make a guest appearance in a special Christmas program in Branson, Missouri. Backstage at the program , it is chaos--the children are out of control, and the director is out of patience. To make matters worse, Grandpa Jim's truck breaks down on the way to the performance.