Child in the Manger

In the midst of the Advent/Christmas season, I find myself in the car - a lot. Not that the rest of the year is not busy what with shuttling my boys around town.  It just seems busier. More people are out. There is a sense of urgency that is missing the other months. There seems to be a common purpose or mission. More events. More doing. More active preparation.

Our life is no different.  In addition to Jackson's basketball practices and games, we have band concerts, church productions, Social and Cotillion Christmas formals, and parties.

So again, I am in the car - but now with Christmas music. I love Christmas music.  However, I REFUSE to play any until the day after Thanksgiving. I program my iPhone with Christmas playlists. I flip flop between the two stations in our town that play nonstop holiday favorites, both religious and secular. I love Christmas music. And every year, I have favorites.

My two favorites for 2014 are Michael Buble's "Cold December Night"  (Christmas, 2011) and Michael W. Smith's "Medley (Away in a Manger, Child in the Manger)" (Christmastime, 1998). 

Disclaimer: I am not a big fan of children singing solos unless it is for a church or school play, so I fast-forward to the 2:00 mark on the song - after the Away in a Manger part.

Last night, I had to drive forty-five minutes to Augusta to take Sumter and two other boys to their Cotillion Christmas Formal. (Another parent was picking them up for the return home.) While the drive with the three teenage boys was full of laugher, comradery and playful jabs, my drive home  became one of reflection and worship.  I listened to "Medley..." Over and over and over.

The words and music were powerful. They pulled me further into the season of Advent, preparing my heart for the arrival of The One. The arrival of a baby, who was born just like every one of us. Who was tiny and frail just like every one of us. Who was held and taken care of  just like every one of us. Who cried and was comforted just like every one of us.

BUT unlike any of us, He was perfect. Holy. Our Salvation. Our Victor. Our Redeemer. Our Savior. Lord. 

That baby, just like every one of us... but unlike any of us.

...Child in the manger, Infant of Mary

Outcast and stranger, Lord of all

Child who inherits

All our transgressions

All our demerits on Him fall

Once the most holy

Child of salvation

Gentle and lowly

Now as our glorious Mighty Redeemer

See Him victorious

O'er each foe

Prophets foretold Him

Infant of wonder

Angels behold Him On His throne

Worthy our Savior

Of all our praises

Happy forever

Are His own

Homage to Band Aid

Over the past week, I have read two friends' blogs that have celebrated and panned some of the Christmas songs playing on Pandora and our local radio stations. If you haven't been introduced to these two cute girls, you need to read them What's Bakin' and Eat, Drink, and Be Mary Douglass.

My friend at What's Bakin' was lamenting on the songs One Last Christmas and Christmas Shoes. OMW! I am so with her! Call me insensitive and callous, but those songs make me want to gouge my eyes out and just give up. Feeling just a bit depressed this Christmas season, but just not enough? Just play one of these babies and you are good to go! (By the way, "Butterfly Kisses" also makes me want to vomit... just in case you were wondering.)

Cute Mary Douglass, however, I must disagree with on her only panned song: Do They Know It's Christmas?. Now I know you are probably calling me a big hypocrite as this song is pretty sad too. BUT how can you not love it? I have to say I was shocked at Mary Douglass... but then I remembered she is ten to fifteen years younger than I and has absolutely no understanding of the power and presence this song had on our Reagan era lives back in 1984! There are so many reasons it would be way up there on my Christmas song list... if I took the energy to create one.

My Top Ten Reasons to "Let Them Know It's Christmastime"

1. I was fifteen when the song came out and could not wait to race out and buy the 45 from Peaches Records and Tapes in Five Points. My friends and I played it over and over and watched the video on MTV (back in the day when it really was MUSIC television).

2. Also, at fifteen, one feels she actually can save - or at least feed - the world by buying a 45 record. And there's just something warm and fuzzy about remembering that when one is now in her forties.

3. Band Aid was the original "do good" pop group. Live Aid and Quincey Jones didn't come out until much later the following year. American copycats...

4. It was filled with British pop stars of the 80s.

5. It IS happy, what with all the cheerful Brits playing air guitar at the end of the song... "Feed the wor-orld... Let them know it's Christmas time!"

6. Specifically... Bono

7. Specifically... Paul Young (OK, so he's not British, but he WAS the only yank who crossed the pond for this.)

8. Specifically... Sting

9. Specifically... Bananarama (remember them?!?!?!)

10. And last, but definitely not least, Duran Duran. How Merry Christmas-ilicious were they?

This is my list... I'm sticking to it.