I open my eyes to smiling faces so close I can see the happy tears in their eyes. They laugh when they see me. Joy spilling out. I look beyond them to the starlight streaming into the stable. The light to which I am accustomed is dulled in this realm. My eyes adjust to the darkness. I see the beasts all around. The smell of hay and animals fills my nose. I cry out. I am quickly wrapped in warmth, lying in the arms of my mother, who coos and talks to me. This connection is so personal. It is what I have dreamed of. My vision. To be this intimate. To share these looks. To be loved, not from far away, but from close up. My little feet do a dance. I kick. I wiggle. These are my first movements; my first moments as a human.

This has been the plan all along. To make myself known in the flesh. To trade my glory for a body. To give myself to the world as a gift. They don’t know it yet. What it will mean for me, or for them. But I know. I know this love was too great to hold it all within myself. I longed to give it away. I longed to restore the broken. Heal the wounds. Love those who feel loveless. It is my nature to give. I cannot help myself.

I cry. I coo. I move. I wiggle. I stretch. I test out this tiny body. It will grow, of course, but for now I get familiar with my new home. It is a tight fit, to be sure. Who would ever suspect it? My glory contained in a baby! Love wrapped up in a cocoon of skin. And when it breaks open, the result will be painfully spectacular. I will finish what I started.

For now, I eat. I let my mother nourish me. Her lovely eyes swallow me in pools of love. I gaze into the eyes of my earthly father. I let him protect me from this world. I let the shepherds watch in awe. I stare into the eyes of each one. Made in my image. Every set of eyes the window into my own creation. Each one a reflection of me, but still their own unique person. I see each one. Up close. Into every heart I created. Being a baby has its advantages. No words needed; only gazing. Up close. Personal. My vision come to fruition.

I nod to the angels who watch over me. Stunned, though they are. Glory in the highest! Love has come. I can feel it wrapping its arms around me. Holding me close. Breathing its whispers into my baby ears. The warmth of it overwhelms my human form. I receive it. Such love. Given to me. I am amazed.

Have you thought of me as a baby? I know it’s a stretch. The mind cannot truly comprehend all that occurred. Now, it is generally accepted and celebrated. But then, there wasn’t a season dedicated to it. It was a simple night for me to sneak into the world. To take a real look around. To truly see and feel the human need. I did it all for love. To connect. To relate. To be with you.