Heaven’s Gift

On Christmas day in barn so bare
Beneath a starlit sky
From manager in a cattle shed
A babe was heard to cry
His first sweet breaths; his tender plea
That soon would be heard wide
Yet first reached out to mother’s heart
To be there by his side

An infant who depended on
The warmth and love she shared
To nurture and protect him as
An angel with such care
Where wings wrapped closely round him and
Her halo gently glowed
To comfort him the way Mums do
With so much grace bestowed

And there without even a bed
Nor anything at all
The Christ child lay wrapped up in just
A cloth; a swaddling shawl
With nothing bar the love of those
In whom their arms he lay
No trappings and no Christmas lights
But simple modest hay

And so if there’s a message to
Take from this humble start
Is that each child can grow to be
Reflections of the hearts
And minds of those who care
Without riches galore
For children are but heaven’s gift
For us to all adore

And each arrives with nothing bar
The wish to be so loved
Wrapped up in hope and peace and trust
That’s handed from above
And so for Christmas every year
Be sure to thus impart
The gift of unconditional love
That flows out of your heart

The Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and Saint Prosper of Reggio, 16th century. Reggio Emilia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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