Come to the Stable..

Its always important to visit someone you love on their birthday... and I spend much time with lil baby Jesus, so if you are not accustomed to visiting Him in the stable... feel free to join me today :)

Walking the path from the inn to the stable where baby Jesus is I can't help but feel the rejection Mary and Joseph must have felt.  They had traveled a long and difficult path just to be turned down at every possibility of shelter.. and then offered something that met only their bare necessities.  A gust of wind carries the smell of barn yard animals and I step closer to the stable. There is a subtle glow as the door comes into sight ... and as I walk through all of the smells that we noticed on the walk dissipate as my eyes fall upon the Holy Family.  I silently drop to my knees and gaze upon them.  At this moment in time they are the only ones in the whole world that know that our Savior is among us.  How blessed are they?  As I think of the thoughts I had walking, about their rejection... I can see that they are showing no suffering, but only the joy of a sweet baby and the awe of being in the presence of the Savior.  In embracing their path, and whatever was to be for them, they were blessed to be the very first people to welcome our Lord... the only ones there at that moment.  Mary is cradling baby Jesus in her arms and Joseph is standing behind her and they are both so intently focused on baby Jesus that they do not even notice my arrival at first.  Their complete love and adoration of Him is so apparent to us as we look upon them.  Then Mary looks up at me.  Her sweet eyes with such faith and trust, yet complete surrender look up, and she holds baby Jesus up to hold.  I walk over and sit right beside her, because no new mother likes to be far from her baby.  She hands Him to me and His angelic little eyes look at me and his newborn baby legs curl up.  I cradle Him in my arms and say "Happy Birthday .. " :)  It is so obvious... He knows me.   A baby relaxes in the arms of a person they know and love and Jesus knows me and relaxes in my arms. It's so amazing to me how much our God loves and trusts us.  At this moment He who created all of us, is totally dependent upon us, and chose it to be this way.   I lay him in my lap and let him grab my finger with one hand as Mary does the same with the other. She is so in love with her baby boy.  His little eyes are not focusing well yet, but His little fingers grasp so tight.   He yawns and I lift Him up to my shoulder and as He drifts off to sleep I whisper in His ear "Thank you.."  I look at Mary and I can tell she already misses Him.. so I hand her back to His Mama.  She blesses me.. and as I look in her eyes I know that she is watching over my own little one until I can be with them.

Merry Christmas and God Bless all of you!