It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

December 24, 2009 by hellomarylou 3 Comments

So, I just wanted to do a quickie post to document a tiny bit of my tiny bit of  Christmas decor.  We skipped the tree this year and did something a bit different.

Ehh….those walls are gray, but they look quite green in this photo.

Strings of lights and glass balls hanging above our heads…..I’m just thankful we haven’t broken any! 🙂

Here’s an aeriel view….my sister stood on my shoulders to get this shot. Just kidding.

Delightfully simple nativity set….a wedding gift that keeps on giving!

Why yes…I’ve even decorated my laundry room. This is what you do with a glass container from your MIL, extra ornaments, and a short string of lights. It was set rather precariously on top of an overturned basket and has since been moved to my kitchen counter.

“Light of the world, You stepped out into darkness….”  I love “hand” art.

The Incarnation, God becoming man, is what most amazes me every year. When we celebrate Christmas today there’s so much music, festivity, feasting, rejoicing, and opulent displays of decor. And the past few days I’ve been thinking more than ever about what it might be like to leave a celestial home and body and come to this earth. Where you are bound to experience most of the following:

1. dirt under your nails

2. getting your thumb smashed by a hammer

3. burping, sneezing, coughing, and lots of other fun bodily functions

4. torn relationships

5. aching muscles/bones

6. the limits of gravity

And I’m sure you could add lots more to that list. But He CAME……from His Father’s right hand and everything He had ever experienced or known or felt….and joined our human experience. He was God and He walked among us! The humility of that act astounds me. I have so much pride in my heart at times………there was a part of me that did not want to share these pictures of my mobile home living room. And of course I had to run around like a crazy person for  a few minutes picking up all the clutter so that I could try to fool you into thinking that this is the condition you would find my living room in should you drop by un-announced.  But really, who do I think I am and from what throne am I descending?!

Do you know how much He loves you? Do you know how far He traveled to make sure you know it? How can we do anything but RUN….run towards  such a wild and crazy love? He is madly, passionately in love with us. He’s committed to being with us for eternity; He offers us redemption when we’ve done nothing to deserve it. Celebrate Him!

One final note…

My favorite song this season is Panis Angelicus. Unbelievably beautiful. Barlow Girl does  a gorgeous version that I tried to upload but could not. I’ll post the words below and hope that you can find the song and listen to it yourself. Have a blessed Christmas!

Latin:

Panis angelicus

fit panis hominum;

Dat panis coelicus

figuris terminum:

O res mirabilis!

Manducat Dominum.

Pauper, servus et humilis.

Te trina Deitas

unaque poscimus:

Sic nos tu visita,

sicut te colimus;

Per tuas semitas

duc nos quo tendimus,

Ad lucem quam inhabitas.

Amen.

English:

The angelic bread

becomes the bread of men;

The heavenly bread

ends all prefigurations

What wonder!

consumes the Lord

a poor and humble servant.

Triune God,

We beg of you,

that you visit us,

as we worship you.

By your ways,

lead us who seek

the light in which you dwell.

Amen.