“Does anyone know the song ‘Away in a Manger’?”
The little hands that had been waving in the air only moments before when asked about the songs “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” were no longer waving. Everyone sat still until one little boy raised his hand 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, who was leading these rambunctious children in Christmas songs at our church’s annual Children’s Christmas Party, had her duet partner sit beside her. As they sang, she began to fade out, leaving the boy to sing alone. Sitting on the edge of the stage with his legs dangling, he sang about a baby who was born in a manger. The circle of children sitting at his feet on the floor, as well as adults in the room, strained to hear the story of “the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” There, in the midst of excited laughter, silly songs about red noses, celebration and fun, the story of Jesus—and the real meaning of Christmas—broke through. It was at that moment it arrived without any warning, a Christmas Hush.
Webster’s defines a hush as “a time of silence; stillness; of calm, especially after noise.” Yes, a hush fell over the room while this young child sang about our Lord Jesus.
As we move through 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.
(Photo courtesy of office.microsoft.com.)
(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)
Beth Fortune has a passion for God’s Word and a desire to teach, lead, and encourage others. Whether through writing or speaking, she allows the heartbeat of the Father to pour through her words. She is an award winning writer whose articles have been published in magazines such as Focus on the Family’s “Thriving Family” magazine, “Reach Out Columbia,” and Dr. Charles Stanley’s “In Touch” magazine, as well as stories published in the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books and other anthologies. She lives in Greenville, SC, and serves with her husband who is the pastor of a church. You can visit her website at www.bethfortune.org.