“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord . . . Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger,” (Luke 2:11, 12 KJV).
“Does anyone know the song Away in a Manger?”
All the little hands that had once been waving in the air when asked about the songs Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Here Comes Santa Claus stayed folded in laps while one little boy spoke above the chatter and said “I do.”
“Would you like to sing it with me?”
As this sweet boy looked around at the other children I knew he was going to decline the offer, but then I heard a confident, “Yes.”
The choir director leading these rambunctious children in Christmas songs at the Annual Children’s Christmas Party at our church had her duet partner sit beside her and as they began to sing she faded out. While sitting on the edge of the stage with legs dangling, the soft cherub voice sang the beautiful story of a baby who was born in a manger. The circle of children sitting at his feet on the floor, as well as adults sitting in the room, strained to hear the story of the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. In the midst of excited laughter, celebration, and fun . . . the story of Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas broke through and there it was, a Christmas Hush.
Webster defines a hush as a time of silence, stillness, of calm, especially after noise . . . and yes, a hush fell over the room while this young child sang about our Lord Jesus.
As we move into the busy time of the Christmas season, what we call the Christmas Rush—full of excited laughter, celebration and fun—may we keep our hearts open for those special moments when the real meaning of Christmas breaks through in . . .
a Christmas Hush.
picture courtesy of photobucket.com
