It began when God spoke love into this world, into the lives of a young girl and her betrothed. Into our lives as well. It began with Mary and Joseph.
I can hardly imagine what Mary and Joseph went through, the trust and faith they lived through their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. A journey from being who they were to who God wanted them to become.
A journey they did not choose. A journey that chose them.
And so they walked by faith into their marriage. And they journeyed by faith to Bethlehem on the promises from God delivered by an angel.
After they had traveled farther than any of us have ever traveled by foot, they must have been exhausted. Many believe it was about a four day journey totaling eighty miles. And after taking on such a journey, they were not welcomed with open arms. They were rejected. There was no room for them at the inn. There was no home for Jesus.
Since it was time for Mary to deliver her Baby, they made their temporary home in the stable -the cold, dark stable. Their family became the cattle, oxen and sheep. And when baby Jesus was born, he was laid in the stone manger kept warm by the sweet hay.
And so it goes.
If the story ended there, we would be left wondering. Wondering who Jesus was and why Mary and Joseph made the trip to Bethlehem Wondering why the world rejected Him before He was even born. Wondering He would become. Wondering what all of it meant for us.
But the story does not end there.
God placed a star in the sky to mark the place where Jesus was born. His sent His angels to shepherds who were watching their flocks by night to tell them of Jesus’ birth, to share with them who Jesus was.
The star shone in the sky. The angels sang of God’s glory. The shepherds went to find the Baby in the manger. The kings came bearing gifts. God’s love became real.
It is a simple story. A story told for many years, from generation to generation. A story you may know but hardly take the time to ponder.
It began when God spoke love into this world in the form of a Baby in a manger. It continued through Jesus’ life as He shared God’s love with us, through the love he exemplified on the cross for us. And it continues today in the lives of all who believe.
We may not be traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, but we are each on a journey from who we are and who God wants us to be.
A journey we may not choose. It is a journey that chooses us.
It is a simple story that begins and ends with love.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah. 9:6) Merry Christmas!
www.TrishBerg.com
1 comment:
Amen! May we also step out in faith and know the love of Jesus.
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