My Favorite Lullaby

Colossians 2:9 -- "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Working in the cytology department of Orange Park Medical afforded me some pretty great memories. Not only did I learn a great deal about the cells that make up the human body, I experienced first-hand the in's and out's of working in an ever-growing and changing department of medical research. But specimen prep and the occasional opportunity to assist on an autopsy was nothing compared to the skitter of my heart-beat when the gentle chimes of Brahm's Lullaby played on the overhead speakers. I knew when those chimes played, a brand new life had been born just two floors up. It made me smile every single time.

I could imagine proud parents gathered around a tightly wrapped little bundle of brand new baby. All the hopes and dreams and potential, right there, kicking and squirming in the tired of arms of Mom and Dad. Would these two freshly-made parents wonder what sports the child would play? Would they take guesses as to what musical instruments the baby would prefer when he/she grew a little? Did they think about highchairs, baby bottles, or college?

The one thing I'm sure they WEREN'T thinking about - was how long they had with him before he had to walk up a lonely hill and hang on a cross for the sins of all mankind. In the sanitized hospital air with the sweet lilt of soft music dancing in their ears, these parents didn't have to worry about the agonizing death their son would face.

I cannot imagine what that would be like.

When Mary wrapped her little first-born child in swaddling clothes, she knew that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." In as much as she would like for Him to be, there was never a moment when she could call Jesus completely hers. From the moment she conceived, she knew that precious baby was born for the express purpose of dying on the cross with all of man's sin. The dreams and hopes she poured over her new-born, were for all of humanity!

When my boys were little, one of the things I would sing to them while they were swept away to dream land, was Silent Night. To me, nothing makes a more soothing lullaby than the sweet words that express the birth of Jesus Christ. Not only does the song portray the true meaning of Christmas, but it celebrates parenthood in a way that no other song does. In the verses of that gentle Christmas hymn, we feel a mother's love. The night is calm in the moment when mother meets child. Deep within the words I can see that the rest of the world disappears as Mary holds her precious new-born and his tiny little face beams brightly up at her.  As the day breaks just over the horizon and the animals near by are drawn to a reverent hush, so breaks the dawn of a brand new grace. THE grace.

Just like the hopes and dreams poured over a new life born at Orange Park Medical, so we can imagine that in the tender quiet of an animal stable, there is born every hope for humankind as one tiny little life takes His first breath and readies to take on the entire world.

It's my favorite lullaby. It's my favorite hope. For "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."  It just does not get any sweeter than that.