A Way in A Manger
Charles Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” That can be an apt description for the Christmas season for some. It’s the best of times for many, with all the joys the holiday brings: family gatherings, delicious treats, sparkling lights, and wonderful gifts ‘neath the tree. It is, as the song goes, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”!
But for others it can be the worst of times. Loneliness, depression, hunger, darkness, no gifts, no tree, no family. Christmas stirs emotions in a way that no other holiday does.
I lost my mother when I was 16 years old. Christmas had a melancholy-ness about it for many years, even long into adulthood. I’d hear certain Christmas carols, like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and my heart would ache. Even after my own children came along, and I had the joy of watching their faces light up on Christmas morning, there was still that little space of sadness in my heart.
Three and a half years ago, my husband was promoted to glory. I have great joy knowing he is in heaven, free from pain and the heaviness he carried in this life. While I am at peace with my life, there are those moments when grief rears its head for a moment. Last week, I drove past a house with all-blue Christmas lights that glowed in the darkness. By the time I reached my daughter’s home, the tears were flowing because my husband always liked all-blue lights on our house at Christmastime.
But this Christmas, it isn’t my own sadness I’m feeling, as much as it is for those who have lost loved ones this past year. Several of my friends and family have suffered the heartache of grief this year, and how painful it is to walk through each “first” without the one you love. Especially at Christmas.
We are not without hope. When you’ve given your heart to the One who came in a manger, you find that God makes a way even in the “worst of times.” Jesus stepped out of His glory in eternity, wrapped Himself in the flesh of His own creation, and came to be with us. In our sorrow. In our sadness. In our pain. Emmanuel. God with us. He carried it all for us (Isaiah 53:4). His presence surrounds, comforts, and strengthens us. His love that came in a manger 2,000 years ago, fills the empty, aching heart.
I love the play on the words in the image above from the familiar Christmas song: God Made A Way in a Manger (Away in a Manger). It’s true...He provided all we need, not only at Christmas, but in every season of the year. He gave us this this hope:
Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Heb. 4:14).
His throne of grace began in a manger. It ended at a cross.
This Christmas, I pray your spirit will be “merry and bright” as you celebrate the birth of the King. If you are lacking joy and feeling sad, I encourage you to take some time at the manger throne and allow Him to fill you with His love and joy and peace this Christmas.