10th Day of Christmas: Song of Wonder

SCENE:
Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

SYNTAX:
Wonder.
to have feelings of awe or admiration,
Marvel

SONG:
I wonder what kind of boy He will be.
Will He enjoy running and climbing trees?
I wonder what will be His favorite toy
or game He will play with other boys.

I wonder what plans God has in store
to accomplish His purpose with this little boy.
Will He be loved and accepted by men?
Even as a child, will they know who He is?
Will He be a king, mighty to save?
Will He be a prophet, pointing the way?
To the task, years of kings and prophets weren’t equal.
So, what will it take to save His people?

I wonder holding Him in my arms,
will I be able to keep Him from harm?
It’s what parents hope in a world of strife
but, Lord I trust You to guard His life.

SEARCH:
I have been so intrigued by Mary this Christmas season.  Maybe it’s because Baby Girl is almost 4 months old, and I guess I’m a little more reflective this year than I was when Squiggle was an infant during the holidays.  I’ve really been trying to identify with Mary as a mother and not just as the religious icon she’s come to be today.  The angel’s message about the child she would carry must have been both awe-inspiring and overwhelming all at once.  I’m sure she was like all mothers, full of hopes and dreams for her little bundle of joy.  

It’s a huge stretch of the imagination to consider Jesus as a boy, playing with friends, running and jumping, and giving hugs like my boys do.  The Bible doesn’t tell us much about His childhood, and I suppose we are so conditioned to think about Him as the teacher and healer revealed in the New Testament that we forget He actually did grow up.  He learned to crawl and walk and talk like all babies do.  I’m sure Mary looked at him with the same eyes full of wonder and heart overflowing with love that I use when I see my children.  What did she think of the angel’s declaration that He would be God’s Son and that His kingdom would have no end?  How did she imagine it would come to pass as the years went by?  Did she share the experience with Him?  Did she forget about it?  Did she have an inkling of what it meant? I’m sure she cringed the same way I do at the thought of them every being hurt or alone or broken.

And yet, He was hurt and left alone and broken. No doubt the scene she saw standing at the foot of the cross as she watched her beloved dying was far from her wildest ponderings on the night of His birth.  I can hardly bear to even think of the sorrow she must have born–there to the end as He made such a great sacrifice for her and all mankind.  We’re not told, but I hope she saw Him that Sunday morning three days later.  I hope she touched Him and kissed Him again.  I hope she saw the fruition of God’s blessing on her womb.  I’m certain she sees Him now–her son and Savior.

7th Day of Christmas: Song in the Heavens

SCENE:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  (Luke 2:13-14)

SYNTAX:
Heavens.
the sky or universe as seen from the earth, firmament; the abode of God and the 
Angels

SONG:

Gabriel! Come.  Assemble your band,
for the birth of My Son is now at hand.
Harmonies layered with the brush of wings
as each cherubim and seraphim sings.

Glorious! Glorious!  Make your praise glorious
with every refrain made more melodious
by the sound of all creatures, the heavens and the earth
pounding in praise of His miraculous birth.

Myriads and myriads of angels sound
the joyous news that peace has been found
in the babe, God’s Son, and brought to all men.
Glory to God in the highest, AMEN!

6th Day of Christmas: Song of the Forgotten

SCENE:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:8-16)

SYNTAX:
Forget.
to lack concern for;
Neglect; 
to leave behind unintentionally, to fail to mention

SONG:
We spend our nights on hills, forgotten by the world.
That’s why we were frightened and amazed by what we heard.
That night in Bethlehem, a Savior born most precious,
and the angel came to us as if we were special.

The prophets call You mighty and a prince of peace,
but You were in a stable, a place built for sheep.
How strange to be born surrounded by straw and hay,
and laid in a manger where sheep and cattle graze.

The angel said You came to be a Savior for all mankind.
But sometimes being a shepherd means you get left behind.
We’re thankful You weren’t born in a palace to a queen,
for in a stable even shepherds can come and be received.

SEARCH:
I’ve often heard that even if I were the only one, Jesus would have still come to earth.  Little Drummer Boy and I read it just the other day in God Gave Us Christmas, a great little polar bear story about what Christmas means by Lisa Tawn Bergren.  When I look at the angel’s message, it’s interesting that he said “For unto YOU is born….”  Not unto mankind.  Not unto all the good little boys and girls.  Not unto just the rich and famous.  Unto YOU.  It bears notice that noone was forgotten at the foot of that rough-hewn trough.  Not the night shift.  Not the scented animal keepers.  Not the dirty.  Not the working class.  In fact, Jesus’ first night as a part of mankind was spent in a place where those shepherds could be perfectly at ease.

The foot of the manger and the cross are both equal opportunity real estate.  All bended knees welcome.

4th Day of Christmas: Song of the Crowded

SCENE:
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed… And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage of David.  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him  in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:1, 3-7)

SYNTAX:
Crowd.to press, cram, or force tightly together,
to put Pressure on 

SONG:
Running, bumping, pushing and shoving
Busy, busy, everyone is rushing.
So many visitors in Bethlehem  that night,
but, something was strange about this family’s blight.
We didn’t have a room, but he was quite insistent.
Imagine traveling in that condition –
a young man and his wife about to deliver.
She was already cold and starting to shiver.

The inn was all full, not a single bed open.
I know that our stable was not what they were hoping.
My wife and I helped her when it was time for the birth,
and she bore the pain bravely, for the babe had more worth.
They watched Him for hours, seeing something almost wise,
like they saw the face of God when they looked into His eyes.
I never would have believed in the bustle of that night
that we would find such stillness in a tiny infant’s light.

The others without time to wonder what they missed
didn’t see the face that tears had barely kissed,
but, we were reluctant witnesses to an evening filled with awe,
and the busy-ness of our hearts was stilled by what we saw.

SEARCH:
Born in a barn.  How odd.  There, in an animal stall with it’s hay and manure, it was not exactly a scene that commanded attention.  And, by our estimation, it was not a scene fit for a Baby King.  I’ve been in barns.  I wouldn’t want to lay my Baby Girl there.  Yet, by God’s estimation, it was the chosen spot.  The Sovereign Babe had been crowded out by so many other travelers, busy about their tasks.  The Savior of the world had arrived, and there was “no room in the inn.”

A good friend sent me some comments on my recent dignity post, and they really resonated with my hopes for this season.  It was another reminder to pay “intense” attention in our homes so that the important messages aren’t crowded out.  “It is so easy to get caught up in the endless urgency of mothering and miss the quiet, yet intensely important moments,” she said (you know who you are My Fair Lamb–”composition-challenged?” Harumph!)  Truth revealed.  Don’t we live in a world of “endless urgency?”  Each activity, mode of entertainment, and work task is vying to be heard above the din.  Each voice is screaming to be louder than the next.  Especially at Christmas time, our schedules are filled with events and to-dos clamouring to get to the top of our priority list.  Quietness is sometimes lost.   The moment, the experience, the person that is not able or willing to shout is sometimes lost.  As Karol Ladd wrote in her book, The Power of a Positive Mom, the most important thing (or person) is not always the one screaming the loudest.

Mary’s moment of pregnant urgency crashed head-on into Bethlehem’s bulging flow of urgent travelers.  Who knew that the Christ child was about to be born?  No doubt if there had been an ad placed in the Bethlehem Times announcing “New King Born Tonight – Free Drinks,” many would have lined up for tickets.  If a media consultant had sent flyers promising “New King Campaign Rally — Featured Speaker: Joe the Carpenter, t-shirts and bumper stickers for sale, sponsorships available,” many would have raised their signs and cheered.  If the local talk show had announced “Virgin Birth — Live on Monday — Vote for a boy or girl in our on-line poll,” millions would have tuned in.

But, God did not choose to clothe Himself in flesh that way.  Salvation was not designed to be a spectacle.  The God of the universe does not desire to compete to be seen or heard.  No wonder His birth assembled such an odd blend of worshippers.  I hope I would have been one of them.  I hope I’ll choose to be one of them now, this day, this afternoon.

His birth calls me to be still.  Listen.  See.

2nd Day of Christmas: Song of Humility

SCENE:
And Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He hath regarded the low estate of His hand-maiden.  For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.” (luke 1:46 – 50)

SYNTAX:
Humble.
marked by 
Meekness 
or modesty 
in behavior, 
attitude or spirit 

SONG:
How could You have chosen me, just a simple maiden,
to bring Your Son into a world sin and sorrow laden?
How can I hope to nurture and raise God’s Son?
How can such a human raise a perfect one?
The lips that spoke creation I must teach to speak.
The feet that walked on clouds I must teach to leap.
The mind that conceived salvation I will teach to read
the truth within scriptures You Yourself breathed.

To shape the life of God is an overwhelming task.
I know I am not worthy to accomplish what You ask.
I lay my soul before You, a vessel clean and empty.
Mold in me the mother You need me to be.

SEARCH:
When I think about the awesome responsibility God entrusted to Mary and the qualities He must have seen in her, it is easy to see why so many have revered her over the centuries.  Although I don’t agree that she should be worshipped as she is in some circles, her life and character rightly warrant a closer look. But, strangely enough, I think Mary would be the very last person to see herself as worthy of anyone’s adoration.  Her immediate response to the angel’s message was to acknowledge her own “lowly” state and expound on the glories of her God.  She seemed quite surprised that God had given her a second look, much less chosen her to raise His Son.  What qualities must this young girl have possessed for God to have selected her to train His Son, to nurture Him, to love Him and to show Him her God?  What confidence He must have had in her desire to serve, in her ability to love.  What can this girl from Galilee teach me about mothering as God desires?

© 2008 Haley Montgomery