GO TO THE MANGER

When we know people are coming over for Christmas, we try to make everything picture-perfect—the decorations up, cookies on the counter, gifts under the tree. But the first Christmas wasn’t anything like that. It was messy and uncomfortable. Joseph didn’t have any reservations for a room and everything was sold out, so they did what they could: they found a manger and made do.

It’s remarkable that when God chose to enter the world, He didn’t pick a grand palace or the temple. He chose a manger. The King of Heaven arrived in the most ordinary of places. The Bread of Life was laid in a feeding trough.

When the angels told the shepherds where to find the newborn Savior, the sign they were looking for was a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger (Luke 2:12). God was making a point: the Savior of the world came low enough for anyone to approach.

The manger reminds us that God can turn the ordinary into the sacred when we make room for Him.

It’s easy to wait until life feels neat and presentable before inviting God in. But Jesus isn’t looking for perfection; He’s looking for space. Make room for Him in your ordinary routines, in your everyday moments, and even in your mess. The same God who filled a manger with glory can fill your life with His presence if you simply make room.