Throughout the month of December and the beginning of the following new year, we are presented with various ideas and images of what a manger looks like. We are told that there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph, and they had to settle for the innkeeper's old, worn down stable. Desperate for relief from the burgeoning baby, the young, unwed couple are forced to seek refuge in the manger, and Mary ultimately delivers the Son of God among cows, chickens, hogs, and bystanders who are as intrigued and amazed by the commotion and ruckus as they are by the unusually bright, guiding star.

Some manger scenes are depicted eloquently, with an angelic Mary cloaked in flowing white robes, Joseph wrapping his arms protectively around her as they feast their eyes on their true miracle baby. Others take a perhaps more realistic approach, depicting an ethnically diverse cast of characters in a rundown stable that is littered with animals and waste. Some are more minimalistic, with mere shapes of humans standing idly by, representing the story we all know so well.

The manger comes. The manger goes. We see it, and then it's back to the wear and tear, the everyday hustle and bustle that comes so naturally to a society that is trained and expected to follow orderly and chaotic routine.

But what if we remembered the manger not just at Christmastime, but every day? What if we took time to remember that the Son of God himself was born in a physical and symbolic mess? He was literally born in an old, dirty farmhouse. He was literally born into a chaotic culture, into a society that was desperately needing reform in some way, shape, or form. And he both literally and symbolically saved humanity from themselves- from their naturally sinful nature- by paying the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our place in eternity.

You see, when we stop to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, we stop to consider our own messy start. We stop to consider our own messy birth- whether our actual, physical start in this world, or something else. Maybe it's a new job venture that's proving difficult. Maybe it's a difficult decision. Maybe it's asking yourself if it'd be better to get a job now or go back to school while working part- or full-time.

We all have our messy situations. We all have our own, personal mangers. But with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, we will be born anyways, and we will take messy situations and turn them into glorious, useful, and even fantastic opportunities for rebirth.