The babe born to Mary and Joseph in a manger in Bethlehem was no mere human. He was the fully divine blessed Messiah sent to restore the rhythm in Creation’s rhyme and save the lost. As we prepare this week to celebrate when the Word became flesh, I’d like to share with you an excerpt from Max Lucado’s book, IT BEGAN IN A MANGER. I pray that it touches you and that in so doing you feel the Breath of Heaven blow through your world. Lord, make our hearts a Bethlehem and therein let the Christ-child be born again.
MARY’S PRAYER
God. O infant-God. Heaven’s fairest child.
Conceived by the union of
divine grace with our disgrace.
Sleep well.
Bask in the coolness of
this night bright with diamonds.
Sleep well,
for the heat of anger simmers nearby.
Enjoy the silence of the crib,
for the noise of confusion
rumbles in your future.
Savor the sweet safety of my arms,
for a day is coming soon
when I cannot protect you.
Rest well, tiny hands.
For though you belong to a king,
you will touch no satin, own no gold.
You will grasp no pen, guide no brush.
No, your tiny hands are reserved
for work far more precious:
to touch a leper’s open wound,
to wipe a widow’s weary tear,
the claw the ground of Gethsemane.
Your hands, so tiny, so white–
clutched tonight in an infant’s fist.
They aren’t destined to hold a scepter
nor wave from a palace balcony.
They are reserved instead for a Roman spike
that will staple them to a Roman cross.
Sleep deeply, tiny eyes.
Sleep while you can.
For soon the blurriness
will clear and you will see
the mess we have made of your world.
You will see our nakedness,
for we cannot hide.
You will see our selfishness,
for we cannot give.
You will see our pain, for we cannot heal.
Our eyes that will see hell’s darkest pit
and witness her ugly prince. . .
sleep, please sleep; sleep while you can.
Lie still, tiny mouth.
Lie still, mouth from which eternity will speak.
Tiny tongue that will soon summon the dead,
that will define grace,
that will silence our foolishness.
Rosebud lips–upon which ride
a starborn kiss of forgiveness
to those who believe you,
and death to those who deny you–lie still.
And tiny feet cupped
in the palm of my hand, rest.
For many difficult steps lied ahead for you.
Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel?
Do you feel the cold seawater
upon which you will walk?
Do you wrench at the invasion
of the nail you will bear?
Do you fear the steep descent down
the spiral staircase into Satan’s domain?
Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that tomorrow
you might walk with power.
Rest.
For millions will follow in your footsteps.
And little heart. . . holy heart. . .
pumping the blood of life through the universe:
How many times will we break you?
You’ll be torn by the thorns of our accusations.
You’ll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin.
You’ll be crushed under
the weight of your own sorrow.
And you’ll be pierced
by the spear of our rejection.
Yet in that piercing,
in the ultimate ripping
of muscle and membrane,
in that final rush of blood and water,
you will find rest.
Your hands will be freed,
your eyes will see justice,
your lips will smile, and
your feet will carry you home.
And there you’ll rest again
in the embrace of your Father.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. ~Luke 2:11 ✝
**Image via Pinterest
Amen and Amen again. ❤ ❤ ❤
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Yes yes yes, amen and amen!!! 🙂 ❤
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Spectacular poem and truly inspiring post, dear Natalie! Merry Christmas!! ❤ ❤
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Thanks so much! Merry Christmas Lynn❣️😘
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Amen on this one
I love it
You are a gift to me because you are so sweet and kind even in your pain you are still a good person.
I don’t have much to give but I will st thank you and God bless you and your family
Merry Christmas have a good day
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You have much to give love. I’m the one who hasn’t much to give right now. You and your prayers are keeping me lifted up and I so need and appreciate that Morgan❤️❤️❤️xoxoxo
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Xoxo
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❤️❤️❤️xoxoxo xoxo
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Merry Christmas sweet girl! Love you so much❤️❤️❤️xoxoxo
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I feel the egg is pure and not contaminated by the curse of sin until the egg is inseminated by the mans blood. And Jesus pure perfect blood was shed for my sin cursed body.
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I googled it and started to think
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I on the other hand thinks that a child comes into the world sandals but he has a sinless nature thanks to the fall in my garden but I don’t think that the man necessarily is the one Simpson into the Charles body that’s not what it says in Scripture😊❤️
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I might be wrong but in the Bible the blood is always used in the sacrifices and the cross and any connection with our humans would be the sin nature so to take the sin nature out of the life of Jesus , it was the only way for me to come to terms with the totally sinless Jesus in the human body
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I could be wrong to but Adam and Eve did not have a sin nature when they were created. It was only after Eve disobeyed the Father and ate the apple that good and evil were released in a creation forever dooming mankind to the sin nature. So it seems that for one brief moment in time there was pure innocence. That’s why my own personal belief is that a child comes into this world in that state of pure innocence. And it’s only after his or her sin nature begins to develop. At that point
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Good point, I want to meditate on that thought too
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The need to be covered by the blood of this the Savior becomes a requisite for his or her salvation.
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Amen
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The sin nature did not come through the blood. It came through an act of disobedience. And the Father gave man opportunity after opportunity to be reconciled to Him until it ultimately became apparent that it wasn’t going to happen until He sent His son to make it possible through His blood sacrifice.
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Good thought too, the animal sacrifices was a picture of God final plan to deal with the sin nature.
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Yes
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One last thought on the subject: if we ate saved by the blood of Christ, there is purity in blood. So that was not the flaw that led to man’s downfall. It was his conscious act of disobedience.
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Amen!!
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😊❤️
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In the big picture it really doesn’t mean much . The greatest benefit was His death for my sin and the new life I received from Him daily and forever !!
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This is true
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And if we dwell to much in that rut , it becomes our religion
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Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2018!
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Thanks! Merry Christmas❣️😘
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Thank you! 🙂
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You’re most welcome ❣️😘
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Merry Christmas night my friend
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Thank you Julie❣️😘
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IMPRESSIVE INdeed. Thanks sharing. :))
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You’re most welcome❣️😘
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Thanks sincerely. :))
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You’re most welcome😊❤️
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My pleasure. :))
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