Immanuel

Immanuel

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

I SPENT MUCH OF MY TIME as a child at my aunt and uncle’s farm, the barn being a favorite place to play. My family had many animals that lived in the barn, and it was loud, stinky, and messy most of the time. The feeding troughs were rough, splintered pieces of wood nailed tightly and lined up in a row, filled with hay for the animals to eat. We loved to jump in them and play, but always left dirty with more than a few splinters.

When I ponder Jesus’ birth, how he was born in a stable and placed in a manger, I remember my family’s farm. I think about what that would be like—now as a mother—to birth a child in that sort of a space and then place my child in the manger. I don’t know if I could do it. And yet, that is where God chose to make his arrival, to enter in as Immanuel—“God with us”—in the most humble of places (Matthew 1:23).

As I’ve thought about the Christmas story, I realize how much more it means that God would choose to come to us this way—by way of a stable and not a palace. I don’t know that I could relate to someone who grew up in a palace. My growing years were good, but not anything fancy or regal. The fact that God would come to us this way reminds me that he is willing to meet us right where we are at—right in the middle of the mess of this life.

As we celebrate his birth, let’s remember that Jesus came to earth in such a way that we could understand him. Let’s not forget that he could empathize with us. Today and every day, let’s remember that we can bring our messy moments to him, because he understands us and he meets us in the dark, splintery places of our lives with his love and mercy. He is with us.

Lord, thank you for being Immanuel, God with us. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: How is God showing up as Immanuel in your life right now?