away in e ngland

And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” [ MATTHEW 2:15 ]

Ididn’t anticipate that singing a carol at church would jolt me with surprise and pain, but that’s what happened my first Christmas in England. I’d lived in this new country for nearly a year after marrying an Englishman, and I found the adjustment challenging. I hadn’t reckoned on church being so hard, with the different customs unsettling me. Thus, when from the piano wafted a strange (to me) tune for “Away in a Manger”, I blinked back my tears. I was happy to be married but sad to be away from the familiar.

Yet singing this particular carol was fitting during that time of unease. After all, the first line describes Jesus’ birth: “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.” Not only was He born in humble circumstances but as a toddler He also fled from Herod. God’s angel warned Joseph in a dream to leave: “Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt” (MATTHEW 2:13). Jesus was kept safe, but He knew what it felt to be displaced. It was a feeling He experienced throughout His earthly life—away from His Father in heaven.

We don’t need to change locations to feel out of place; pangs of longing can come at any moment and at any place. When they do, we can turn to the Man who suffered and grieved. His birth and His presence bring us hope and strength.

AMY BOUCHER PYE

REFLECT: When have you been surprised by an ache or a yearning? In those moments, how can you turn to Jesus?

PRAY: God who became Man, You felt the ultimate dislocation when You came to earth as a baby. When I feel lost, I look to You for comfort.