12 Days of Christ Day 6: Lying In A Manger

 12 Days of Christ: Day 6

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, & wrapped him in swaddling clothes, & laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

The inn was full.

Did Joseph & Mary look at each other & think- well… this is not ideal! What now?

When they approached the lowly stable, did they think- really? how can we bring forth the Son of God here, of all places? This was not part of the plan. Why didn’t we make a reservation at the inn a week ago!? (JK)

I don’t know what they really thought, but I’m sure they felt God with them & worked with Him to make sure His Son made it here safely. They knew whatever happened, it would be ok. 

And it was.

O, holy night.

I’m curious what Mary & Joseph think of the way we tell their story? The details we’ve filled in for them? The many different nativity sets we display? When they laid baby Jesus in the manger could they have known people all over the world would have makeshift mangers & re-enactments of that first night? Carols about it? Did they know how symbolic their story would be when they got turned down at the inn & decided a stable would have to do?

When did they realize, ahh… these non-ideal circumstances are actually what was supposed to be all along!

A humble stable. The babe in a manger. Shepherds kneeling. A star overhead.

Somehow a crowded inn just wouldn’t seem right.

Joseph & Mary wanted an inn.

They got a stable.

In life, sometimes we think we know how things are supposed to go. But then plan B happens, & we discover it WAS the best plan all along.

Trust God, follow Him, & everything will work out for our good. I know this. I’ve seen this in my own life.

My own plan B’s.

My own stables.

“How could it be? Why must Mary, chosen above all women, give birth to the Son of the Highest in the rudiments of a stable? …It could have seemed so surprising, so unjust. But the baby was born; He was healthy. …They realized there was purpose in the difficulty that surrounded them… With all the difficulties & uncertainty, for the righteous—for those who trust in God— in the end, whether in this life or when we kneel at His feet, all will be well.” (Neil L. Andersen)