There is a quiet lull at Kirkhaven right now. The turkey is in the oven, casseroles and salads are assembled, and a mountain of potatoes have been peeled and diced for their traditional garlic mashing. My husband is outside splitting wood so our Christmas Eve fireplace will crackle warmly all evening.
Later it will be busy and loud.
Later friends and family will be laughing and fellowshipping around a greenery-bedecked table.
Later three poodles and one frisky bird-dog-puppy will be dutifully keeping watch for any dropped morsel (or any secreted tidbit) of deliciously aromatic Christmas Eve feast.
But right now Kirkhaven is quiet, so I have a moment to fulfill a promise I made to my dear friend Janice Lewis before the weekend celebration begins.
Janice posted a suggestion on facebook and I promised to reply. She asked people to share a special Christmas memory they had. I answered that I was working on a reply and would post it soon. So here is my answer, dearest Janice. Here is my favorite Christmas memory:
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them:
"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Luke 2:1-20
So elegant.
So plain.
It is the story of the King of the Universe . . . the Perfect Lamb of God . . . being born in a lowly stable.
Sleeping in a feeding trough.
Visited and venerated by rough, earthy shepherds.
It wasn’t what people were expecting, however.
It wasn’t exactly how people would have planned it.
There were things missing from the picture
. . . a warm, snuggly cradle
. . . a fire at the hearth
. . . family and friends gathered to celebrate
. . . the smell of savory meat roasting on the fire
. . . the rich, comfortable sound of bread being kneaded and baked.
The prophets had spoken of an unusual birth and an unusual life and an unusual death for the coming messiah. . . but somehow people had expected something different.
Something more familiar.
Something deserving of a king.
I always decorate my Christmas tree with gold and red and white. We have lots of lights and snowmen and greenery scattered about the house. We always have a pile of gifts under the tree. And we always eat a Christmas feast. There are tons of wonderful memories I have collected from all of my lovely Christmases.
But the thing I remember most is the brown of the stable.
And the rough wood of the manger.
The shepherds who saw angels.
And the quiet, pensive expression of a young mother holding a tiny, swaddled King.
My King.
Because sometimes Christmas isn’t always perfect.
Perhaps some people we love will be absent from our Christmas table.
Perhaps harsh words still echo in our minds.
Perhaps our Christmas greetings and our heartfelt words of blessings are not welcome messages to some friends and family we love.
Perhaps there are things missing from the picture this year.
Some households don’t always look like a Normal Rockwell painting.
But the King is there.
The One born in a manger.
The One who lived much heartache.
The One who died on a cross.
Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised,
and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well -being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth . . .
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
My favorite Christmas memory, dearest Janice, is Him.
The King of the Universe come to earth as a tiny babe
. . . born in a manger
. . . destined to die on a cross.
He is always there as I decorate my home for this joyous season.
He is always there as I buy and wrap the gifts.
He is always there as I prepare the meal and light the Christmas candles.
He is always there when my home fills with family and friends.
And He is always there when things are missing.
Him.
It's Him I remember most.
And I treasure the memory.
When there is beauty and love and celebrating,
I can feel Him laughing.
And when there is heartache and sorrow and pain,
I can feel His tender Love.
In all of it He is there.
Glory to God in the Highest!
On earth peace . . . goodwill . . . to all!
Can you see Him too?
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