Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray.
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray.
At their best, Christmas
celebrations are a wonderful time for enjoying, cherishing and deepening family
relationships. The very nature of a festival and a feast is in its communal
dynamic, which is why people being alone on Christmas day is such a saddening
spectacle. It is also why those with difficult relationships often feel the
tensions more acutely during the festive season.
Yet there is a far deeper
relationship at stake at Christmas time, namely our relationship with God –
Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit – Himself. For all the hope and joy of
Jesus’ Advent is purposed to an end– that we might know God himself. This
prayer, taken from ‘Away in a Manger’, is an example of the childlike, humble
and heartfelt prayer that God loves to hear from us.
So amidst the throng of
our Christmas relational experience - present giving, TV watching, ‘heated
debates’ over Monopoly, tussling over the stuffing – let us take time out to
seek sanctuary and joy in that most precious relationship of all.
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