He weighed most likely an average of 7 or 8 pounds. The straw
from his bed poked his newly exposed skin and it was probably a bit itchy. I’m
sure the well-known “silent night” wasn’t so silent, as the entrance of a new
little one into this world is never a quiet matter. My guess is that he
probably fell down and skinned his knee a time or two. He felt the effects of
the heat of the sun on his body and sweat dripping from his brow after a long
day of work. He knew fatigue and weariness. I picture him seated around a fire
with people he loved, enjoying the conversation and the evening breeze that
chills the air and relentlessly rolls through the middle of the small gathering
of friends.
…if only the breeze knew the essence of the air which it now
carried...
There were times when he reached out to others, but ended up
being disappointed in the end. He experienced loss and rejection, probably more
than we could ever imagine. At times he was so excited to spend the day with
others, but he also treasured his alone time. He needed community, but he also
needed the quiet tone of the wilderness. This guy loved a good party. I see him
dancing until his feet hurt, singing at the top of his lungs, feasting on
delicious food and drinks, all the while laughing from the deepest parts of him.
But anger wasn’t a foreign emotion, and he, too, felt the passion rising from
his belly in the midst of heated circumstances. He was humiliated more than you or I ever will be. He felt the weight of temptation that was trying to crush
him. Sadness was heavy at moments, and the feelings that the tears encompassed
often seemed unbearable. He knew joy, and he knew the feeling of wanting to
flee. He took on physical pain. He understood emotional and spiritual
heartache.
But he also knew love like no human on this earth will ever
be able to fully grasp in a lifetime.
Because He was love. Love WAS this man. Love IS this man.
Without this holy night, this perfect act of love and
devotion, the details of our lives really wouldn’t matter at all. Our feelings
would just be weird emotions making us feel distant from our Creator. In
reality, they do not separate me from my Father, but instead, they draw me
closer in relation to Him, because He understands, relates, and knows.
I’ve heard it….over and over again. But lately, the
incarnation has become rhema to me (in other words, the Holy Spirit has caused
it to stand out with significant meaning).
Y’all, he was FULLY human. And FULLY God. I know, it’s a
crazy thing to try to grasp and I don’t think we ever will here on earth. But
if you ask me, that’s probably one of the most comforting and encouraging words
of truth that there could ever be.
