Tonight at church the following excerpt was read from Max Lucado's book "God Came Near" and all of a sudden something struck my heart. The reality of what Christmas truly is about and not what we have made it to be found its way to my heart.
Mary's Prayer
God. 0 infant-God. Heaven's fairest child.
Conceived by the union of divine grace with our disgrace.
Sleep well.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 soon coming 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 works more precious:
to touch a leper's open wound,
to wipe a widow's weary tear,
to claw the ground of Gethsemane.
Your hands, so tiny, so tender, 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.
0 eyes that will see hell's darkest pit and witness her ugly prince ...
sleep, please sleep;
sleep while you can.
Lay still, tiny mouth.
Lay 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 of death to those who deny you - lay still.
And tiny feet cupped in the palm of my hand, rest.
For many difficult steps lie ahead for you.
Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel?
Do you feel the cold sea water 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 steps.
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 that 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--
this time in the embrace of your Father.
After reading this, it is impossible to look through the same set of eyes at Christmas. No longer is it a holiday just about a cute little baby that was born to a virgin in a cute little stable in Bethlehem one night. No, it is a holiday that celebrates the Prince of Peace was born in a dirty, gross stable to a very frightened woman who was born so that He may die for you and for me. The birth of Christ and his death are so closely linked, far more than I ever thought they were. Tonight my heart had an "ah ha!" sort of moment as this poem was read and the eyes and the ears of my heart were opened. I think I finally get it! This is not to say that this shouldn't be a season of joy. The birth of Christ is definitely cause to celebrate, but be mindful that the birth of Christ was not a cushy sort of event. Rather it is a time for us to reflect on the reason why Jesus was born and who he came to save.
May this Christmas be a time of celebration, great joy and thanksgiving as we reflect on what really happened that night in Bethlehem and the big picture behind the birth of Christ!
Merry Christmas!
1 comment:
Merry Christmas Kara!!
I wasn't in church yesterday (we are in Carman with my family), so thank you for sharing that powerful prayer and your reflections on it. It was helpful in preparing my heart for Christmas. Thank you! Love you!
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