Hello, God. It's me, Mara

You know, Lord, being a shepherd way back when You were born is undoubtedly a bit changed now then it was long-ago. When we were little kids (usually on a Sunday morning as we headed to church), we might meet a team of horses pulling a sheep wagon (where the sheepherder lived) followed by a large band of sheep, the sheep dog(s) nipping their heels to keep them moving along, and usually several men walking behind, shaking branches or tin ‘dogs’ to keep the flock moving. The sheep dogs, the guards, were raised with and lived with the sheep. Can’t we just about hear the continual bleating, the mama sheep’s low voices and the lamb babies’ high-pitched cries as they were getting mighty tired of walking? Then once to the new pasture or a field, all of them could rest as dark came and night settled in.

With this picture in mind and the sounds in our ears, can we pretty nearly imagine it in Bethlehem? Can we see in our mind’s eye the sky splitting in a wondrous bright light, brighter than any lightning storm we’ve ever known, and angels suddenly appearing? Whoa! Who wouldn’t shake with fear and trembling? We read about that scene in Luke 2:8-10: That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem.”  

Thank You, Lord, for a vivid picture of the Good and Joyful news the angels gave that long-ago night and let us not forget the reason we celebrate Christmas!

Love, Mara.