On This One And Only This One, Very Special Night
A Christmas Story In Verse
For Jack, Our Grandson
Christmas, 2019

Beginning with my first year at the University of Montevallo in 1970, I have written a Christmas story for family and friends. I wrote that first story for middle school students I was tutoring. Over these forty-nine years I have written all kinds of stories about the miracle of Christmas; featuring students, our children (and our grandson), their missionary children friends, other family members and friends, and various characters imagined as being there that holy night when Jesus was born. This year’s story came to me in verse form as I imagined just how singularly unique the night was. This is my only Christmas story written in verse form, but it sang to me and I simply had to write it down. I pray it sings to you, too, about two simple yet remarkably trusting and obedient people–Mary and Joseph; commonplace shepherds visited by extraordinary angels; and the one and only God incarnate baby ever born. May we spend this Christmas in the singular joy of all His birth and life and death and resurrection bring to us.

 

On this one and only this one,
very special night,
not like any other,
in a simple town
with no worldly renown
a mystery began
and continues even now
for you and you and you
and for me and me and me.

Now you were not there, nor was I
this very special night,
not in your body,
no, nor in mine,
but even so, somehow
in God’s great mind
all you you’s and all us me’s,
we were in His heart and
on His mind this special night.

For on this one and only this one,
very special night,
God on His throne
surprised every
single angel,
perhaps Himself,
great God in glory stepped down
from Heaven to Earth and
became a little baby.

But on this one and only this one,
very special night
God did not come
down with some great
army, but to a
carpenter and
his maiden lady, not in
a palace—in
a stable.

And on this one and only this one,
very special night
God sent his own,
His mighty angels,
not to a king
all proper and
clean, but to shepherds so
smelly with
their sheep.

Then on this one and only this one,
very special night
all His mighty
angels praised His Name—
“Glory in the
Highest, peace on
Earth to the people
all asleep in
Bethlehem.”

On this one and only this one
very special night
it was shepherds
who bowed in the stable
worshiping
Immanuel
(God come down)
asleep on
sticky hay.

So on this one and only this one
truly special night,
I wonder, what,
what was he thinking—
Joseph, as
he watched these
smelly shepherds
worshiping
God’s baby?

Then on this one and only this one
very special night,
I also ponder,
what was she thinking—
Mary, as
she looked on
this child so
normal yet so
different?

Next, on this one and only this one
very special night,
these shepherds were
not drinking on this
night, they were
laughing for joy,
shouting in glory,
their wondrous
holy story.

For on this one and only this one
very special night,
even as the angel said,
exactly as the
angel multitudes
declared—these shepherds
saw with their own eyes,
Heaven’s promise
realized.

Now on this one and only this one
very special night
everyone of all
you you’s and all us, us
me’s were somewhere deep
inside that baby’s heart
and mind as he looked
around this quiet
blurry night.

All because on this one and only this one
very special night
we must remember
he had seen only
splendor forever
and forever,
but now all around
him was very,
very dark.

So that is why he came on this one, this only
very special night,
once and for all he
came to bring his light
to dazzle us and shine,
almost make us blind,
glorious heaven
invading earth in
holy glory.

Now on this one and only this one, this only
very special night,
Jesus, Son of God,
Jesus, son of Mary,
came with peace and joy
and love for all you you’s
and all us me’s and me’s
a gift from heaven
above.

Since this one and only this one, this only
very special night,
everyone one of
all you you’s
and all us me’s can seek
Jesus like those smelly
shepherds—we can join them
finding all those angels’
great good news.

M.S.
December 24, 2019

Matthew 18: 3

“Truly, I say to you,
unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”