Is it too soon to sing “Away in a Manger”?

When my children were little, I used to sing each one of them a song when I tucked them in. (For those who have heard me ‘sing,’ yes, I know, it could have done great harm to their ears. Once they got older, they politely suggested I read to them instead:).

One night when she was about 4, our eldest daughter, Jackie, sang ME a song:

“Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay,

close by me forever, and love me always.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care

And fit them for heaven to live with thee there.”

I had NEVER heard this stanza of “Away in a Manger,” and at first thought (being the proud mother that I am:), that perhaps she made it up. Then she told me she learned it in pre-school.

This stanza of simple little Christmas hymn has become one of my “go-to” prayers. When a day is getting a little rough, when I am met with insurmountable difficulties, when I hear of sorrows in a dear friend’s life, I pray so very simply, “Be near me [her, him], Lord Jesus…I ask you to stay close by FOREVER.” Even saying the words reminds me that he is indeed near, for God’s nearness as a human is what we celebrate at Christmas.

And as I am blowing my cool because I’m trying to make everyone in a household happy or because I’m worried about my sick dog, it is so good to remember that I don’t even have to ask Jesus to “love me always.” He does — when I’m the Christmas crank or the stubbornly-relenting-repenter.

The prayer reminds me that he is “fitting us for heaven” and that one day we will live eternally in restored shalom of renewed creation. Try it. Sing, ever so softly if you must, but let the breath exhale as you proclaim this little Christmas prayer of adoration and worship of our Savior-Child.

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
‘Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

NOTE: In my hymnbook, only three stanzas were listed. When I looked for the lyrics on the internet, I found it broken up differently and a couple of additional ones. Enjoy them all:)!