Fit us for heaven

It's Christmas time, and I can't help but be inspired.  One of the many things that inspires me is Christmas music, and one song in particular jumped out at me this Sunday morning.  It's the words to Away in a Manger.  Here they are:

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;

The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes;

But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.

I love thee, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord, Jesus; I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.  

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.

One of the many lessons I draw from this song comes from the last line, when the worshipers pray that Jesus "fit" them for heaven.  I think of this process as being roughly analogous to when a tailor fits a suit for someone; another term would be "alter."

Like it or not, we have imperfect natures and histories, and we need redemption.  Jesus is the source of that redemption, but it's not a painless process, for our very souls have to be "fitted."  In other words, we must be pulled, pinched, folded, sutured, sewn, and extraneous fabric needs to be excised, all while sitting very still like a toddler getting his first haircut.  Our jealousy, sarcasm, lust, gluttony, and every other imperfection that has accreted onto our souls needs to be transmuted into generosity, kindness, love, and temperance.

This isn't the work that can be completed in a single lifetime, but it's a work we can choose to accept.  That choice is an incredibly vital one: should we choose to come unto the Lord, we will spend our lives (both mortal and eternal) striving toward Him and the exaltation He promises.  However, when we accept the Lord into our lives, we accept him shears and all.  If we refuse the shears, we accept the faults, and we're not fit for heaven.

So let us accept the alterations that the Lord would make on us.  Let's remember that the most important mortal being on this earth was essentially born in a barn and executed with criminals.  Let's take lessons from childrens' songs, because after all, maybe everything I need to know in life is a derivation of something I learned in Primary.