The Crowded Inn

Look with me for just awhile

at a place called “The Crowded Inn” . . .

You may not recognize it as

somewhere you have been

Does nothing look familiar

stir some forgotten memory . . .

Well, I’m not surprised, we soon forget

it was the same with me

The door so slowly opens

a voice sounding just like doom . . .

Shatters the heavy silence

shouting . . . "THERE IS NO ROOM"

Suddenly my memory’s illumined

with scenes of Christ’s Nativity . . .

Times without end the same words said

except they were spoken by me

I sent Him away to the stable

too busy to make Him a bed . . .

Crowded, oh yes, “The Crowded Inn”

“NO ROOM”, were the words I said

But for His grace and mercy

“NO ROOM” would still be my refrain . . .

His LOVE gave me a manger heart

let me now, dear ones, explain

“The Crowded Inn” today, as then,

repeats those words of doom . . .

Stubborn~willed they close the door

and scream, THERE IS NO ROOM

Crowded hearts, the poorer you,

to send away this King . . .

You fail to recognize Him still,

“NO ROOM ~ NO ROOM” ~ you sing

Your hollow laughter can’t disguise

empty rooms of pain within . . .

Proclaiming fullness, they are bare

SELF is THE CROWDED INN

Will you forget so easily

‘twas to you at first He came . . .

To birth His Kingdom in your hearts

share with you His Holy name

Must He now turn away, as then,

still grieving, as with them . . .

For only lowly manger hearts

know how to welcome Him

In Manger Hearts He feels at home

SELF has been displaced . . .

Immanuel fills every room

with LOVE, fear is erased

The truth, if we’ll accept it

each MANGER HEART must tell . . .

The Crowded Inn, we all once were

self reigned in us, as well

There’s but one difference we know

at last SELF lost the race . . .

Hunger changed The Crowded Inn

to A MANGER HEART, by GRACE!

Anon