"Let your soul be a lifelong manger for Christ the Child. Pray that He may give you the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out," wrote Catherine Doherty, founder of Madonna House.
A manger is a feeding trough. Emptied and refilled daily with food. It's also where my Savior was laid as a baby -- born in Bethlehem, the house of bread; He became food for the life of the world.
During a tough time last year, I asked a friend for advice. Perseverance was her answer, but she said it with the example of child's play.
"Do it again! Do it again!" says the boy to his mom when he wants to play Candy Land for the 17th time in a row and the rules are all his own.
"Again! Again!" says the girl to her dad when he's already read the book three times that bedtime and every previous night for the whole month.
My friend compared God's interest in the faithfulness of my prayers -- even in hard times -- to the child who demands the repetition of his favorite game or book. God begs me to depend on Him again. He asks me to trust Him that He will fill the manger of my heart daily with the sustenance of His Life.
He beckons: Do it again! Pray to me again! Come to me again! Let me love you again!
And He does. He fills me up when I take time to pray. When I have courage to trust. When I remember to persevere.
"Do it again! Do it again!" says the boy to his mom when he wants to play Candy Land for the 17th time in a row and the rules are all his own.
"Again! Again!" says the girl to her dad when he's already read the book three times that bedtime and every previous night for the whole month.
My friend compared God's interest in the faithfulness of my prayers -- even in hard times -- to the child who demands the repetition of his favorite game or book. God begs me to depend on Him again. He asks me to trust Him that He will fill the manger of my heart daily with the sustenance of His Life.
He beckons: Do it again! Pray to me again! Come to me again! Let me love you again!
And He does. He fills me up when I take time to pray. When I have courage to trust. When I remember to persevere.
God, thank you for friends who lead me to You. Increase my courage to come to You again and again. Help me to depend on you like a child for everything and let me chew on the reality of Your love today.
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