The Night Before Christmas

Some songs are so powerfully truthful. This one is even sans music.

Empty manger
perfect stranger
about to born
into darkness
sadness
desperate madness
creation so torn.
We were so lost
on earth
no peace, no worth
no way to escape.
In fear, in pain
no hope, no grace
no light -
that was the night before Christmas.

Warm hay
cold sweat
a mother, not yet
praying God speed the dawn.
She looks to
her man
holding her hand
wonders how long.
The shepherds,
wisemen
come to find them
to bow to a king.
One star
above
shining on love
so bright
it lit up the night
before Christmas.

And the world didn't know
mercy was meek and so mild
and the world didn't know
the truth was as pure as a child
the night before christmas.

The world didn't know
redemption was so sweet and strong.

The world didn't know salvation was writing a song
the night before Christmas.

Empty manger
perfect stranger
about to be born.

Brandon Heath


I never want to live without hope. And I never want to forget how profound what the hope we live under truly is. A God that chose something so humble. So often I'm confused and even shamefully indignant at the shape God's plan is taking in my life. Imagine Mary, pregnant with the messiah, riding a donkey in the desert 10 months pregnant discovering there is no clean bed for her to give birth in. This reveals more abotu my character than hers that I know in her positive I would have been thinking "surely, I'm carrying the Christ child, so God is going to provide a suitable if not extravagant place for me to perform the miracle of birth". All the way to the stable I would have been dumbfounded. On the one hand, these thoughts reveal to me my own sense of entitlement that still needs to be repented of and discarded. On the other hand it reminds me that what God is up to is always far beyond what I can comprehend. Things worthy to remember and things I'm grateful he revealed. On the night before Christmas, as a matter of fact ;-)