T'was the day after Christmas, and all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stocking and trash had been flung without care;
It looked like Hurricane Henri'd been there!
The children, exhausted, were still in their beds,
with visions of yesterday's gifts in their heads.
Mama had a headache and I, feeling ill,
knew we'd had too much noise and had eaten our fill.
And all through the house there was such a clutter,
I stepped on a toy and began to mutter,
"Those kids! Will they never learn to pick up?"
I would have said more, but a thought came, abrupt:
"It's quiet; why don't you sit down, not gripe,
and ponder the meaning of all of this hype?"
So sit down I did in the midst of the mess,
and got out my Bible and began to address
The reason behind all this hullabaloo;
I read about Mary, and Joseph, too;
How Mary was pregnant, all big and round,
When told they must travel to Joseph's home town;
The journey was hard, for the baby was due.
Then they got to the inn and were told, "There's no room."
They found shelter out back inside of a stable.
Though hard to imagine, Mary somehow was able
to give birth to a wonderful baby boy,
who would turn out to be the source of great joy
to all of the people who lived then and now;
For both they and we need a Savior, and how!
And this was the Savior, the one prophesied,
who would come to this world and would suffer and die
the death we deserve, and forgive us our sin,
that we may know God and be taken in
as God's children; I think Jimmy Stewart is right:
When you're living with God, it's a wonderful life!
This news was so big that an angel appeared
to inform some shepherds--Boy, were they scared!
But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid,
for the news that I have to tell you is great!
Today, back in town, a Savior's been born;
He's the one you've been waiting for; He is the Lord!
To make sure you find him and not some stranger,
look for the babe that's been laid in a manger."
Then thousands of angels appeared in the night,
singing praises to God with all of their might.
Then they left, and the overwhelmed shepherds said, "Whew!
I've never seen anything like that, have you?
Let's go into town and see if we'll find
that baby, or if we're just out of our minds."
So off they hurried to Bethlehem town
and there in the stable, the baby they found.
Mary and Joseph looked up in surprise
at these guests unexpected who had arrived.
They listened to stories of angels and light,
of singing and praises, of wonder and fright.
The shepherds told them all that they knew,
then drew close to the manger for one last view
of the babe who was lying asleep in the hay,
the one who would be their Savior someday!
Then the shepherds slipped quietly out in the night,
but they couldn't go straight home; it just wouldn't be right
to keep this Good News all to themselves;
this is the kind of news people but tell!
And tell it they did, to all that they saw,
and all who heard it stood there in awe;
Amazed at what the shepherds had said;
Was it true? Or were these guys touched in the head?
The shepherds, after the story was told,
praising God on the way, returned to the fold.
But even though shepherding still was their game,
They knew that their lives never would be the same.
For they had witnessed the glory of God;
by angels and singing and light they'd been awed;
And they'd seen with their own eyes that wee baby boy;
That one called Messiah, the source of our joy.
As for Mary, she treasured up all of these things,
and pondered them in her heart, what they might mean.
And that is the verse that most caught my eye;
that verse about Mary wondering why.
You might think this would be the only place, when
in Luke 2:51 she does it again!
She takes time to think, tries to figure things out,
and reflects on what all of this might be about.
It struck me that I need to do the same thing;
take time to reflect, do my own pondering
on all of the great things that our God has done;
Coming into this world couldn't have been that much fun.
Having lived in the splendor of heaven, he came
to this world racked with sin; it just couldn't be the same.
From the glory of heav'n to the earth he did stoop
to be born in a stall full of animal--well, you know...
It's not a good place for a babe to be born,
Any of us would look on it with scorn.
But this birth place that we would consider a sham
is a wonderful place to give birth to a lamb.
And that is who John said that Jesus would be;
the dear Lamb of God who would set us all free;
By being the sacrifice needed for sin
so we'd be forgiven, and part of God's kin.
And that is the reason that we celebrate
the coming of Jesus; we commemorate
All he has done, and all he will do;
indeed we should celebrate all the year through!
The giving of gifts should remind us in part
of the gift of God's son who now lives in our hearts.
And the evergreen garland and wreaths and the tree
remind us of life given eternally.
The lights on the buildings and inside our homes
remind us of light that 'round shepherds had shone;
Not to mention the light of that now famous star
that led the wise magi from countries afar.
And so what I learned I will now interject;
Like Mary, we need to take time to reflect
on just what it is that God wants us to do
at Christmas and all other times of year, too.
And just as important, who we are to be;
Are we living like people who have been set free?
Take time to be quiet, with God to commune,
Search hard in your schedule for times opportune.
We just get too busy--I have a solution:
We could make this our New Year's Resolution!
The children are up now, again there is noise;
It's time to get them to pick up their toys.
I'm glad that you joined me for this little chat;
to review the Scripture and see "where it's at."
This poem began as just a brief fling
Just part of the sermon; not the whole thing!
But I got on a roll and had such a good time
that I just couldn't resist rhyme after rhyme.
The Lord and I thinking and laughing together,
warmed me inside, in spite of the weather.
I first thought I'd end in the poem's own way;
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good day!"
But this was the sermon, and so I will end
by giving the ever traditional "Amen."
