Joseph led the donkey down the narrow road leading to the city of David.
(Luke, Chapter 2)
Mary shifted in the saddle, trying to get comfortable on the slow-moving steed.
Joseph thought back to the day that he was betrothed to his sweetheart.
He felt fortunate to now be the husband of this woman who was so beautiful and smart.
They were going to the place of their ancestral home for registration -
to be counted for a census required for Roman taxation.
The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was arduous and often dangerous.
For a couple expecting a child, the trip was especially treacherous.
Crowds of people choked the roads and byways,
even more filled the streets of nearby towns and cities.
For them this trip could not have come at a more difficult time.
The baby was expected to come soon - Mary was in her maternal prime.
This holy child would be the Son of the Highest -
as announced to them in angelic dreams and visits.
His name would be Jesus -
he was the great king Emmanuel or “God with us” .
The ancient prophecies were being fulfilled in their generation.
Mary and Joseph were blessed to raise this divine child who would bring the world eternal salvation.
The couple could not make accommodations ahead of their arrival -
they had to make do with whatever they could find in their travels.
After they entered the town they could find no place to stay, no room in the inn -
instead they found a quiet and cozy stable away from the crowds and the din.
It was apparent shortly after they arrived that Mary’s time had come.
It was in these most humble circumstances that the Son of God was born.
The baby Jesus was tenderly wrapped in swaddling clothes - his bed a manger.
In the night they were visited by humble worshipping strangers.
As Joseph looked upon the friendly shepherds and the reverent scene,
he wondered what would happen next - what would God next bring?
This new-born child was now theirs to raise as best they could -
a responsibility he felt honored and blessed to have.
2021
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