The Nursery
in Giggles on December 14, 2022
We are roughly ten days out from Christmas.
Ten days from now, millions of people will gather in cathedrals, churches, and homes to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Radio stations are saturating the airwaves with songs of merriment and wonder: Everything from Christmas trees to candy canes, Santa Claus to sleigh rides, to jingle bells and the Baby Jesus.
There is an unspoken anticipation and an air of wonder throughout the masses.
Christmas is my absolute and unequivocal favorite time of year. Full transparency: I start decorating my house in October.
The preparations I partake in are legendary in my corner of the world. And, just like I did when I was a little girl…each and every Christmas Eve, I eagerly listen for the soft, yet unmistakable sounds of sleigh bells in the distance.
I also parade my family to the front pew of our sanctuary to rejoice in the birth of the Savior of the world. My family and I prepare for that service all year…we look forward to it…we revel in her traditions…the people we see…the songs we sing…the familiar Gospel account from the book of Luke.
For the four weeks before Christmas, known as Advent, we’ve been preparing our hearts to once again, receive and welcome the newborn King.
Last week, I attended a Ladies’ event at church. As the event opened, a talented musician warmed up the crowd with some old familiar, tried and true Christmas hymns. O Little Town of Bethlehem and Away in a Manger, to name a couple.
As I sat there listening to words I’ve heard my entire life, my ears and my mind zeroed in on an element that I had previously overlooked.
My mind began to circle around the crib, cradle, and nursery of the Baby Jesus…or lack thereof.
I began to think of my own children’s nurseries.
I began to think of the nursery I am currently constructing today. I have a carpenter upstairs this week, constructing bunk beds that will sleep SIX PEOPLE. I am preparing for the next phase of my life…grandbabies!!
No! Don’t jump ahead! We are not expecting any little Louis bundles of joy…but…I am preparing for the day when we do.
As Jeff and I went through the months of my pregnancy with our firstborn, we did all the things that expectant parents do. We attended birthing classes, we registered for baby paraphernalia, we readied his nursery. We picked out a crib, painted walls, organized his dresser. It never occurred to me that Ethan would not spend even one night in the nursery we had spent months preparing.
You see, we moved from that house when Ethan was two weeks old…that is another story for another time.
My point, is that all of my preparations didn’t mean jack when the time actually came…there was a different plan in place.
That is what was rolling through my mind while listening to Away in a Manger…
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head…the cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes…
Jesus was Mary’s firstborn Son. While the circumstances surrounding His conception and her pregnancy were anything but ordinary and routine; I’m certain she still had some sort of plans concerning His arrival. I’d bet all that I have, those plans did NOT include roughly a 100 mile journey via donkey in her third trimester. I’m not sure the cave in which she finally settled was the birthing suite she had hoped for. I am most certain the dirty floor of a livestock dwelling was not her first choice for delivery.
Yet, all of those things were firmly rooted in God’s plan for the arrival of His Son.
Mary and the Baby were safe, sheltered and warm.
When the dust settles: safety, shelter and warmth are the only things that actually matter when bringing in a new baby. All of our planning and preparations can be important and vital steps when getting ready for baby, but, bear in mind, that those are often OUR preparations. Our preparations are not always God’s arrangements.
What do we do when all of our anticipations and excitement turn into disappointment and unrealized dreams?
Well, when dealing with minor inconveniences, such as birthing location, you shake it off and deal with what you’ve been given. But, in other cases, when dealing with loss—on any scale—take the time to grieve. There are countless women throughout the pages of Scripture who dealt with unimaginable loss and heartbreak. First and foremost, they grieved. Then they allowed themselves to be comforted. But, ultimately, they trusted in God’s plan.
In this season of Advent (Preparation), whatever your situation, I pray that above anything else, you trust. Even as you stare at the business end of disappointment and sorrow, please continue to trust. Not everything works out the way we had envisioned or planned; but I can assure you with absolute certainty, God’s plan is always bigger…always more…always enough…even when we cannot see it.
Merry Christmas!