Lord of Holies, may this special day be a blessed one in the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
The sadness of this special night is often overlooked by many. We rush, much like the school children who portray the wise men and shepherds who, after being told to walk slowly, forget all about the instructions and rush to the altar to place their gifts or to stand by the manger scene, right to the birth. It was a long, dusty, difficult journey for that young couple. If we are to believe the scenes we've seen, Joseph walked the entire journey and Mary, fully pregnant, rode on the donkey feeling every single bump and jolt on that long ride to Bethlehem. There were no rest stops like the ones we know today. There were no convenience stores with easy on, easy on access. It was walk, walk, walk. Once there they looked for room at the inn and the Bible tells us there was none. Mary and Joseph had to stay in the stable of one who lent it to them. I don't like driving to a hotel or motel late after driving on a trip and finding out there is no room at all. Some years ago before I knew what South by Southwest was in Austin, we drove into Austin looking for a room. SXSW is a long, weekend music and cinematic festival. It's held in March and usually there are NO rooms to be found from Georgetown to San Marcos. We didn't know. We had been riding in a comfortable car, the girls were cranky as was Dad, but there were no rooms to be found in any place. Thank God for a cancellation at what was then the last hotel in South Austin. We paid a pretty price for the room but we had a bed and a place to shower and refresh ourselves. Joseph and Mary had no such luxury.
We can imagine it was a painful long way down off that donkey for a very pregnant woman. And we don't know exactly how long it took for Jesus to make his arrival that night, but it did happen. The stress and tiredness from that journey didn't end with finding a stable, the delivery and arrival of Jesus made for an interesting night. I tend to believe that once the baby was born and they saw his face and were thankful for his birth the night went smoother.
This Christmas Eve, many find themselves worn out from the stresses of daily life. The bumps and jolts of work and family may have some at wit's end, but I think once we remember what tonight is all about and we see that baby's face, it's all worth it. The smile of the Christ child brought hope for a better tomorrow and we should receive that as ours tonight.
PRAYER: Loving Father, bless the needs in my life today. May I seek to see You above all else that I have experienced and faced. May I see the smile that is Yours reflected in the birth that we celebrate tonight. Let me be Yours now and forever, in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
TONIGHT GO TO THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE! IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHURCH HOME AND LIVE IN THE HARLINGEN AREA, we invite you to our services. At our downtown campus we have a 4:30 and 7:00 pm service, the latter with candlelight and communion. At 9 pm at our Valley Praise location we will have a contemporary worship and tamale fellowship. We hope to see you there!
