She held on to her swollen belly, trying her best to make the jarring not quite so painful. The pangs of labor were beginning to wash over her and she knew it was just a matter of time before she met her sweet baby. And her Savior.
As they travelled over the bumpy road, an animal - possibly a donkey, marked at the beginning of time with a stripe down his back and across his shoulders, was to be the one to carry the Messiah. Walking like there was a King on his very back.
They knew. The animals they passed knew how precious that cargo was. How important that job was. They knew the Christ was soon to be born. I just know it. The journey was quiet with worship except for occasional moans that were not intended to slip through this young girl's lips.
And so she gave birth to this Child.
Where the animals ate and slept and waited for His arrival. On a floor of straw and dirt, manure and blood, she wrapped Him up and the celebration began.
The heavens opened up to a chorus of angels praising God.
We keep trying to pull Him back in to this celebration of His birth. Is it from a heart of pure devotion or a feeling of obligation?
Are you the one trying to figure out how to salvage Christmas? With hurt and loss and pain so deep, don't you know the only way to salvage it is to have more of Him? Not more gifts or holiday activities, but Him. We need Him more. Oh, I need Him more.
It is in these times a person doesn't have to have the token activity to pull Christ into the Christmas mayhem. We pull Him in because the need is great. No, it is extreme.
So we cry out. Not in agony or hurt, but in joy and celebration that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. I REJOICE that He hears the cries of His children when they are hurting and when they are not.
We cry out in praise like the angels did. Like they still do. The angels and the animals and the trees and the rocks. Heaven and nature. Praising that our Savior was born a servant to one day return as King. My King.
Ain't no rock gonna cry in my place. As long as I'm alive I will glorify His Holy name.
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