Thursday, December 23, 2010

IN A MANGER THAT DAY

IN A MANGER THAT DAY

The hands
that made the universe
were born –
In a manger
that day.
The eyes
that had seen
the edge of eternity
stared,
unfocused,
at an unfamiliar world –
The great voice
that thundered “I AM”
to generations past,
and made the foundations
of the world
quake,
cried out,
hungry,
totally dependent
on the dust
He had made –
In a manger
that day.
It was a miracle
of humility,
A wonder
too wonderful
to understand.
A moment
that made heaven
stand still…
The angels
looked down
on the Master
who knew them by name,
As He lay helpless,
unable to speak
or walk…
A baby.


And yet
the devil and his demons
trembled
in fright,
as their judgment
lay quietly –
In a manger
that day.
Most of the earth
woke up
that morning,
None the wiser
that Wisdom
had been born –
For who could comprehend
that the Eternal One
had entered time
and space –
In a manger
that day.
A moment
of joy
of awesome
Marvel…
Shepherds came
and wise men too,
Knowing something
but yet
not knowing yet,
that their Creator
was now with them
right there –
In a manger
that day.
As the bright
and
beautiful
Star in the sky
shone down
on the face of Love,
The shape
of a cross
lingered
in the shadows
A dark day
coming –
In a manger
that day.


And yet,
a triumph
had also
arrived…
The desperate
condition
of mankind
was given
Hope,
The chasm
that had separated
God
from His creatures
was bridged,
And every person
who had ever been
Or
would ever be,
was given the chance
to be rescued
and saved –
For it only
takes
an open heart,
a moment of belief
to see
with the eyes of faith,
that God
came for you –
In a manger
that day.

© Sharon Kirby
December 24, 2007


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

13 comments:

  1. It is absolutely amazing isn't it -- Him with us.

    Thank you for the beautiful poem, Sharon.

    Wishing you and yours a joyful Christmas.
    Love,
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful poem, you managed to capture the amazing irony of that day..."that their Creator was now with them"..."that the Eternal One had entered time and space"! Would you mind if I read this to me family on Christmas Eve?
    I have so enjoyed getting to know you this year! Merry, Merry Christmas to you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Sharon,

    "A moment of joy
    of awesome Marvel...
    " -- I cannot fathom what it was like for those in the manger who witnessed a moment of joy.

    Thank you for sharing such a moving poetic tribute to Jesus.

    The thought of Immanuel (God with us) fills me with joy.

    Blessings and peace to you and family.

    MTJ

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful poem, Sharon, wishing you a very happy christmas, my blog for today doesnt seem to be showing yet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unbelievably beautiful.

    I read it slowly and enjoyed every word as it unfolded on the page. I kept finding different parts that I *thought* were my favorite parts. Finally, I just decided that it was one of those inspired pieces where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I love it and will be sharing it at the family table tonight.

    Or, maybe I'll wait until Christmas Eve night.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Sharon, what lovely poem you've crafted. Wishing you & yours a very Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Sharon -

    Precious piece. Thank you

    Amen to, in particular, "...it only takes an open heart."

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is so wonderful. Merry Christmas, Sharon! Wishing you lots of smiles and happiness in 2011. Lots of rain by you? We got a measurable amount in AZ - lots of mud now! Praise the Lord, anyhow.

    Hugs,
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sharon,
    You are one awesomely amazing writer. God has given you quite the gift. Praise Him for coming in a manger that day! I have been marveling at His gift much lately. Thanks for stopping by and your sweet notes:)
    Have a very Merry Christmas!
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Michelle - Yes, it's amazing. God as a helpless baby - a baby born to die for us. My gratitude cannot be expressed... Blessings and joy on this Christmas to you and your family, too - even those "dead raccoon loving" kids of yours!!

    Anita - Thank you! I left a note on your blog - but I would be HONORED if you read this to your family. I have so enjoyed your blog, Anita. You take such lovely photos. I look forward to sharing our journeys in 2011. A Merry Christmas to you - and Marty sends his wishes to Buster and Bugsy, too!

    MTJ - Yes, it's hard to imagine, isn't it? I wonder what the animals thought. Did they know this was their Creator, too? I'm thinking they did - in that way that animals can sense things we can't. Emmanuel - what glorious humility, what humble glory! Blessings to your family at this very special time of year!

    Nita - I visited earlier, and it seemed that your blog was fine. It's been such a pleasure becoming friends with you. It's pretty amazing that we can speak to one another across the MANY miles that separate us! And yet, because we share Jesus, our hearts are knit together! Have a wonderful Christmas - I'm so glad you enjoyed this poem.

    Debbie - You don't know how much your sweet comment means to me. Thank you. I am so honored that you're going to share this with the family. I just keep trying to wrap my head around the wonder of what really happened in that manger. And yet, it's just too BIG, too AWESOME to fully understand. God gave me this poem - trying to capture the unbelievable GOOD NEWS that God became one of us...Glory!

    Keep going - more responses to come!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wanda - I'm so glad you enjoyed it. God is such a WONDER-full God! A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, too.

    Sandra - Thank you. I am so glad that I opened my heart - aren't you? It's been such a pleasure getting to know you. I eagerly look forward to sharing our journeys in 2011. We'll probably "talk" before Christmas - but if not, have a truly blessed Christmas Day, Sandra. Enjoy the beauty of a baby in a manger - a God who came to do what we couldn't do - save us.

    Mary - Thanks! Merry Christmas to you, too! And yes, we had SO much rain - my husband and I had started "ark" plans! I actually started to wonder a little bit - how did Noah feel? Hearing that pounding rain, all the time, for 40 days and nights? WOW - how glorious the sunshine must have been. Even better?? SON shine!

    Wendy - Thanks for stopping by, and for your kind comments. Such an incomprehensible gift - both because of God's tremendous love, and because of how much we didn't deserve it. I am humbled, and awed. Have a terrific Christmas, Wendy - looking forward to 2011 and sharing our journeys!

    My dear friends - I cannot tell you how much your support, encouragement, and kind words have meant to me. I consider each of you a friend - and a blessing that I am grateful to God for every day. Wishing each of you a very MERRY Christmas - full of the riches of faith, family, and friends (OK...some FOOD, too!)

    Praise the Lord for His unspeakable gift - a baby - Himself. Amen.

    GOD BLESS!

    (p.s. I'll be posting - come back if you need a break from opening presents or eating!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Sharon, Sharing with you the glory, the wonder, the miracle, the joy of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Have a Blessed Christmas! With love and care from Kerrie. xOx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kerrie - A most blessed Christmas to you and yours, too. There is nothing more miraculous, more WONDER-full, more glorious than what happened in a manger so many years ago. I am reminded of the phrase - "Wise men (and women!) still seek Him..."

    GOD BLESS!

    ReplyDelete

"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)