“GLORY ASLEEP IN THE HAY”

            Saturday morning, as our choir recorded a DVD and completed the dress rehearsal for the Christmas production this short, but profound phrase from the practice remained lodged in my brain.  

            Consider with me, the all-powerful all-knowing, God who was and is and is to come was sleeping, as a baby, in common, smelly, itchy hay!  If you really think about it, how can you wrap your mind around a scene like that?   I confess I can’t.   Yet, I’ve noticed some interesting things about this picture.

            First, Glory is asleep in an everyday stinking irritating circumstance of life.   Do you ever have any of those?   Our nephew, Joe recently had a baby girl, Isabella, who took a long time getting here.  I joked with Joe, why she would choose not to come out.  If you were Isabella, why would you decide to venture into this harsh, fowl-smelling, and cold-hearted world when she could just remain snug, warm, well-fed, and secure right where she was?  In Isabella’s case, labor had to be induced.   Of course, this begs the question – What induces your labor?

            Second, sleeping implies that, Jesus was at peace with His circumstance.  Peace is something that is often hard to pin down.   It’s easy to wish that all of our problems would simply disappear and then we would have peace.  Right?   How sad that, new problems often pop up before the old troublesome ones are resolved.   If, I’m not clinging to Christ and depending upon Him for direction, what hope do I have in weathering the many storms of life?

            Finally, I come to see that “Glory Asleep in the Hay,” is just one snapshot in the journey of Christ’s life.  Perhaps, even as a tiny child, Glory knew who He was.   I have no hope in finding peace to cope with those people and circumstances that get on my last nerve, unless I’m willing to abandon my justifiable resentments, anger, and pride.   So, I make a choice to be cared for and to cling to this little infant and His supreme message of love, as my only hope for peace this Christmas.   As each of you move into this final week of preparations, I pray you will find peace and “Glory Asleep in the Hay.”