Away in a Manger is one of my most favorite Christmas songs, especially the 3rd verse that starts with “Be Near Me.” I wanted to share a print with these comforting words, as my first post back after the last post, that was more somber. Thank you all so much for your kind words and condolences on what I shared about my mothers sudden passing away. It’s been a whirlwind week, talking to hundreds of people (that may be an exaggeration, but I’m pretty sure it is not) and receiving kind gifts of meals and flowers and others in between.  Besides my post I wrote about my mom, two very wonderful articles were written, that I wanted to share in case it was missed at the bottom of my last post. The Desesret News and The Salt Lake Tribune. Click on the links to read.
This Christmas song brings me comfort, and I wanted to share it with you  in this inspirational gold foil print.
When I was in college, there was an incident where I witnessed a friend suffering, and it shook me to the core. It happened just before Christmas break, and I was overcome with sadness. It was a mixture of emotions–guilt, concern, confusion, and just plain sad. I didn’t know what to do with myself, I didn’t know how to cope.
I had been prayerful, with tear filled pleadings to find some peace, to take away some of the pain I felt. That peace, came in the form of a song.
In church, we sang lots of Christmas Hymns, just as we had been for a few weeks that year, and as I’d done years and years before. The selection was “Away in a Manger” the Sunday after I went home for Christmas break, and I think we are all quite familiar with the first verse. But that day, the 3rd verse, it hit me as it never had before. It brought to me, the peace I had been hoping for. No solution to my concern, but peace….and peace was what I had been seeking.
As I’m enduring a different kind of grief than I did back then, I’m reminded of those words, and wanted to share them in some way.
The 3rd verse goes:
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever, and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.Â
I needed HIM near me, then, and I NEED it now.
These words bring me comfort, and I hope it can do the same for anyone out there who needs it, or just a reminder of that one true source.
We are being “fitted for heaven” with every trial and tribulation we endure in this life. We are being shaped and molded, into the person that we need to be. How can we become stronger if our strength isn’t tested? I’ve always believed this to be true, and remind myself as I struggle through this, that, and the other at various times in my life.
But this one? It wasn’t supposed to happen yet. My mom still had many more years of grand-mothering love to dote on my children. We still needed some time to strengthen our relationship. They were almost done with their mission in Ghana.
Still, despite these pain filled thoughts, we are feeling the peace that sustains us.
Our family is as close as ever, and I can’t wait to squeeze everyone. We’ve had to wait TOO long!
I hope this print, this song, can bring comfort to you.
——
I love the gold foil lettering, and I have two very gorgeous projects coming up next week with the same gold foil, that I’m very very excited to share.
Download the 8×10 PDF here:Â Away in a manger
In the meantime, here are some other posts you might enjoy:
To see more Christmas family ideas, click on this link or on the image below!
