How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv’n;  So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His Heav’n.

Let’s face it, stables are not palaces. They reek, they are unkept and are filled with manure. Yet, a stable is the place where Jesus first appeared. He could have been born in a royal place and laid in a golden crib. His birth could have occurred in a home, less regal, but warm and tidy and filled with love. But when Jesus came to earth he chose a stable.

When God feels far away from you, does it help you to know our God appeared in the stench of a stable? If he avoided the red carpets and the royal palaces of the day to be born in a cold, dingy barn, is there any place on earth where his love won’t appear?

God meets us not so much in the lovely, the times when life is going well, but he meets us where we are most needy. Being laid in a manger trough as baby, he knew what is was like to be needy. He depended on his parents for his life.

The Christ, who gave us mercy, was at the mercy of the innkeeper, who sadly told Mary and Joseph there was no room for them. Yet he curled up in the rough hewn wood of that manger in order to reach out to all of us.

But that isn’t the greatest miracle of Christmas. No, it is in the changed hearts of those who believe in him. The Messiah makes these detours towards the blessings of heaven in our hearts possible. God’s infinite love is always available to us if we only make a bed for him in our hearts.

The miracle of Christmas is repeated over and over again each time a person moves closer to him. He became human so we could never say, “He doesn’t understand me.” He may not approve of what we do, but he recognizes our human failings, because he wrestled with humanity, also.

Heaven bowed down to earth that day so our hearts could be warmed by the miracle of his love.