Away in a Manger….B&BW Style

It’s that time of year! Christmas carols are playing everywhere – in our cars, in our offices, in the stores we visit, in our churches, and in our homes.

I was singing through the lyrics of “Away in a Manger” this morning and something landed differently. As I sung “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head, the stars in the sky look down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay,” I wasn’t just singing it. I saw it. I heard the sounds. I smelled the smells. It felt REAL.

On a typical day, you can walk into my office and smell my “Tiki Beach” wallflower from Bath and Body Works; at home, it’s usually “Cactus Blossom” or “Black Raspberry Vanilla” (when it’s not discontinued). I like the smell of the beach. I like the smell of fruity and clean things. Those scents are very different from what I “smelled” as I became part of the manger scene.

Musty Hay. (Surely that would be a best seller!)

Donkey Dung. (No poopourri available, y’all!)

Sheep Spray. (No glitter in this one!)

We think of the “appropriate,” “planned,” and “clean” places where a baby should be born. That manger met none of the above. It was dirty. It was damp. It stunk. WHY? The King of Kings was coming to this Earth…..WHY?

I can’t help but reflect on the truth that He was born into cold….damp…..smelly….dirty accommodations because it was foreshadowing of our hearts. He wasn’t afraid of or too good to come to our hearts because they were cold…..damp…..smelly…..and dirty.

Jesus was just fine with that manger and all of the things surrounding it. Thank God He was – because His willingness to be born in THAT place in THOSE circumstances paved the way for Him to be born in our hearts, too.