Christmas Beauty on a Two Lane Road

When traveling Pat occasionally will ask, “Why are you going this way?” My answer is almost always the same, “I want to see something different!” I miss the simple Burma Shave signs and huge ads painted on barns along “U.S. Routes” long ago replaced with interstate highways and expensive turnpikes. Big box stores are either bland, cursed with the infection of sameness, or garish assaults on optic nerves.

We find the less traveled, quaint, routes lined with Mom and Pop emporia more appealing than the super highways. I love visiting a hardware store and being served by a knowledgeable human being, one who counts out the exact number of nuts and bolts that I need. (not wrapped in hard plastic which defies opening without injury). I really like it when the well-trained clerk since nuts and bolts purchases don’t require a “sales associate.” An experienced clerk can immediately point to one of dozens of metal bins and assure me with, “Here, this is what you need.” For me, the value of little metal objects increases as the clerk places the few items in a miniature paper bag (He sometimes even adds one for good measure!) and scribbles the handwritten price that cannot be scanned at the checkout counter.

 Ah, the simple satisfactions of life . . . they remind me of a seldom sung English Christmas carol written 150 years ago by Emily Elliott. The verses can be difficult to remember because they are heard infrequently, but the refrain moves the heart and is unforgettable. I will hum the tune and repeat the refrain’s lyric throughout the remaining days of Advent.   

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.

Refrain

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee. 

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.

When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.

Interstates and turnpikes dominate our travel which makes the old Burma Shave routes all the more colorful and attractive. Route 30 in Lancaster County divides quaint communities like Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse and Paradise. Some of the best homemade food is prepared by Mom and Pop restauranteurs doing business on Route 30. On the same old two-lane road, colorful hand-sewn quilts are displayed for those who have time to appreciate beauty. Emily Eliott’s lyrics are worthy of a deliberate detour from the multilane Christmas worship highways. We may be refreshed with a leisurely break on a spiritual county road, a quiet season of reflection and wonder, as we sing –

          O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

And then, as the human spirit connects with Holy Spirit, we will remember the promise of Jesus’ next appearance and sing with Ms. Eliott.

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.