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???Shush, did you hear something???? Jeremiah whispered to his friend,
who was leaning against a rock. ???It sounded like a wolf in the brush over
there howling???. ???No,??? said the other young shepherd. ???It??™s only the wind
making noise.??? Jeremiah and his friend were nervous and scared. It was
their first night to watch the flock of sheep all by themselves. There
had always been older brothers, uncles or their fathers nearby to make
them feel safe in the fields during the long, cold nights.
???Someone always has to watch the sheep. There??™s never one
night??™s rest for the weary,??? Shepherd David added. ???Oh, quit your
complaining,??? Jeremiah quickly responded. ???You have forgotten so soon????
???Forgotten what so soon???? questioned David. ???You know, it wasn??™t long ago
that you and I begged to tend to the flock all by ourselves so we could
prove how strong and brave we are,??? Jeremiah answered. ???Yes, I know, but
it is much more lonely and scary out here than I ever thought it would be
by ourselves,??? whined David, ???and we always have to be alert, watching for
bears or lions. Besides, I??™m tired.??? They often complained how they did
not get to play as much as some of the boys they knew.
The shepherds were young lads, both thirteen years of age, keeping watch
in the pastures on the outskirts of a small town called Bethlehem. They
both agreed that the fire they had built was bright, the blankets they
wrapped around their bodies were warm, and the sky was beautifully clear
that night. The huge stars twinkled down from above as though to say, ???We
know something that you don??™t know!??? One of the young sheep had
become fond of David and always stayed close by. I guess you would call
him David??™s pet. He loved him so much that he even named the little
sheep, Moses, after the man in stories his grandfather often told him.
After the flock settled down for the night, David and Jeremiah stretched
out close to the campfire and rested their bodies. It felt good after a
long, hard day of chores. Too many chores, they thought, for their
parents to request that they tend to the sheep tonight. They were almost
asleep when they heard the blast of a trumpet. The sound was coming down
from the heavens! They quickly jumped up and were shaking with fear at the
sight before them. In the sky was one of God??™s angels and the glory of
the Lord shone all around! The angel spoke out loud, ???Fear not, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall
find the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Go ye
unto the city and worship the savior of the world.???
After the beautiful angel and the other heavenly hosts had praised the
Lord and disappeared, the young shepherds noticed a brilliant star shining
in the Eastern Sky. It was pointing to the place where they would find
Baby Jesus, along with his mother, Mary, and his father, Joseph.
Forgetting about the sheep, they quickly ran in the direction the star
pointed and soon bowed down before the infant child. They wanted so much
to place a special gift at the foot of the baby but all they had with them
was Moses.
???What could we buy this baby with our empty purses???? David asked. ???We
must pray to God to supply our need???, suggested Jeremiah. They quickly
knelt down and asked God to bless them with a special gift offering worthy
of the Savior. Just then, Moses started to bah and they both looked up.
They knew what they could do! They would give away their beloved pet
sheep so that he may lie down next to Jesus to keep him warm during the
cold winter night. Mary and Joseph thought that was a wonderful idea and
gladly thanked the shepherds. Now, the baby would not be cold in his bed,
for Moses had a thick coat of wool. The small sheep seemed to know just
what to do as he gently lay down beside the tiny newborn in the manager.
David and Jeremiah lifted their heads and thanked God for His gift and
bowed down to Baby Jesus once more to show their respect for God??™s Son
before they left.
Just think, David and Jeremiah were the only two members of their families
to witness this miracle! How happy they were that it had been them
tending to the sheep that night; otherwise, they would have missed out on
all the joy and excitement! Now, they felt sorry that they had ever
complained.
God knows what is best for us, even when we don??™t. So next time you are
asked to do chores by your family, be obedient, there may be a blessing in
it for you because God is always watching over his sheep!
?© 2003 by Alma Burns
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Re: Encounter with Santa Claus
Thanks, Bob, for printing this---timely!!
Nancee D.
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Hi Bob and Ladies!
Well, all the ladies turned into seven- year-olds?
Perfect! They shed all the school boot camp and all the societal
imprinting and became what we must all become in order to enter the
Kingdom of God. They believed! Some people see an incurable disease
and believe "incurable". Others see it and choose to believe "healed".
The ladies are a wonderful living example of what I try to say in an
essay with a little story inside: belief , faith is the substance of all
reality. They could have written that this Santa was just a superb
impersonator, but they chose to believe. He was Santa!
Vance Agee
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What a fun story, and what a wonderful idea. wish
I could have been there. that is a wonderful support group. Sounds like
a large family. Happy holidays one and all. Thanks, Bob. We
appreciate you and all you do.
Dianne Chambers
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Being a 59er from here in South Texas and involved
in our classmates reunions, I can certainly relate to Nancy's surprise.
We've had people show up over the years not having a clue as to who they
were because we hadn't seen them in thirty five or forty years. There were
only forty in my graduating class. They may have known him if he'd said
something.
Mark Crider
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Re: The Necklace
What a wonderful Christmas story---just what
Christmas is all about! (giving the best you have and what someone
NEEDS, as God gave His Son, the best HE had, for OUR needs: payment for
our sins) "A little child shall lead them"
Nancee D
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He must have been a really special child.
Julia Greer
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Re: Christmas Fishing Gear
Hi Kathy,
This is a great story! My "mail" was slow in coming today, and I just
read it. It made me smile, and that's always a nice feeling. I hope you
have a wonderful Christmas, spent with people who love you! Merry
Christmas,
Barbara Carpenter
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