(Photo by Hazel King)
Two more shopping days until Christmas. Too much left to do before the day arrives. Hurry, hurry. There’s no time to waste. Drive to Walmart, to the post office, to the shopping mall, and the supermarket. Hundreds of hours and dollars invested, hundreds of miles driven. Two more days until Christmas; then it’s all over for another year. Whew.
Contrast that image with this one. It has been estimated that it took Joseph and Mary approximately three days to make the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of about 70 miles. It must have been slow going, with Joseph leading the donkey while Mary rode. I wonder what she and Joseph talked about as the donkey plodded slowly onward. They must have felt anticipation and perhaps a bit of anxiety as they continued toward their destination, the place where the prophets had predicted Messiah would be born. Yet they walked in obedience, believing in the promise of God. Two more days to Bethlehem. Two more days until Christmas began.
Two more shopping days until Christmas. Too much left to do before the day arrives. Hurry, hurry. There’s no time to waste. Drive to Walmart, to the post office, to the shopping mall, and the supermarket. Hundreds of hours and dollars invested, hundreds of miles driven. Two more days until Christmas; then it’s all over for another year. Whew.
Contrast that image with this one. It has been estimated that it took Joseph and Mary approximately three days to make the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of about 70 miles. It must have been slow going, with Joseph leading the donkey while Mary rode. I wonder what she and Joseph talked about as the donkey plodded slowly onward. They must have felt anticipation and perhaps a bit of anxiety as they continued toward their destination, the place where the prophets had predicted Messiah would be born. Yet they walked in obedience, believing in the promise of God. Two more days to Bethlehem. Two more days until Christmas began.
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.” (Luke 2:4-5, KJV)
By Hazel King
© 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment