The Dawn Sky

A Christmas Lullaby
(Written by Amy Grant and Chris Eaton)

Are you far away from home
This dark and lonely night.
Tell me what best would help
To ease your mind.
Someone to give
Direction for this unfamiliar road,
Or one who says “Follow me and I
will lead you home.”

How beautiful
How precious
The Savior of old.
To love so completely,
The loneliest soul.
How gently,
How tenderly,
He says to one and all,
“Child you can follow Me, and
I will lead you home.
Trust Me and follow Me,
And I will lead you home.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever,
And love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children
to Thy tender care,
And take us to Heaven,
To live with Thee there.
Take us to Heaven,
To live with Thee there.

I’ve been listening to Amy Grant’s CD “A Christmas To Remember” these recent days.  Her haunting voice and beautiful songs, like the one she wrote above, just seem to fit with my holiday spirit.

This morning as I walked out of church --- a priest and mass again, despite the bulletin again announcing only a Communion Service --- I saw the line of clouds off to the East, and the narrow slit of gray sky sitting on the horizon.  And as I drove Eastward, I watched the slit widen, and the gray lighten:  dawn was arising.  And on the radio played another song:  Agnus Dei.

Alleluia, alleluia.
For our Lord God Almighty reigns

As I drove through the country, the wide open fields gave a clear view to the changing sky.  The line of clouds pulled back even further; the area of gray grew larger, and began changing to a light blue.  Where I had only seen a line of clouds, now I could perceive wisps of dusty clouds amidst the growing blue. 

Then the wisps began slowly changing, from gray to a light link, and then from pink to a soft rose.  The sun was coming, as the minutes slowly passed.

Across the landscape I could clearly see the winter-bared tree branches, reaching upward like hands raised in praise, and from them the smaller branches reached up, stretching like fingers trying to touch the sky. 

As I approached town I saw the church building, clearly distinguished from the rest of the landscape, a large edifice against the brightening morning sky, and at its top the large cross stood out so clearly, silently proclaiming: This is God’s work.

As the clouds gradually turned to a bright red, I heard the soft words of praise sing out:

Alleluia
Holy, holy
Are You Lord God Almighty.

A beautiful day is dawning, a great blessing, on this 5^th day of Christmas.