Rebecca Carpenter

           Two newly painted planters were waiting to be filled with flowers.  My husband, Alan, had found the discarded pots with a neighbor’s trash by the street.  After he painted them, the nicks were covered, and they glistened with their shiny, fresh coat of paint.

            While browsing the garden center at Lowe’s, we spotted a clearance rack and searched the shelves of wilted, brown plants.  To our surprise, bright pink and white periwinkles and orange marigolds stuck their bright heads above their almost dead neighbors.  We examined the containers and discovered several plants that could be salvaged.  We purchased three flats of plants for 10 cents each and more expensive ones for 25 cents each.  Our total bill amounted to $2.36 which was quite amazing.  As we loaded our purchases into the truck, we laughed at how little we had spent.

            With a wheelbarrow full of plants, fertilizer, and garden tools, I was ready to begin my project.  I studied the plants carefully to determine which ones to keep and where to place each one.  I gently pulled off the dead leaves, mixed the soil with fertilizer, placed them into their positions, and sprinkled water on them.  To fill in gaps, I planted some hardy plants from my garden.  The discarded planters filled with clearance flowers and more mature plants provided just the right touch of beauty and color for our patio.

            God does the same with His children.  He picks up discarded, wretched looking specimens and sees their hidden potential.  He picks off the dead leaves of our sinful lives and gives us a new start.  He places us into new soil as he gently nurtures us with scripture, prayer, and the living water of Jesus.  He places more mature Christians around us to add color and fill in the gaps as we all grow spiritually.  He stands back and admires His creation of beautiful people emerging from their seemingly almost dead lives.  Each time I gaze at my lovely plants, I think of all the people who are growing as Christians because they were given another chance.

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          Darkness enclosed the hills outside Bethlehem on that crisp, cool night two thousand years ago.  Tiny stars sparkled above while shepherds walked slowly among the sheep—checking and counting each one—searching for potential danger.  Shivering in the cold, the shepherds were enduring another long, monotonous night. 

            Suddenly a large star appeared which illuminated the black sky.  Looking at one another, the perplexed and startled men anxiously checked their sheep again.  Then the sky filled with angels singing and praising God as the astonished shepherds fell to their knees.  Then instructions to visit the Baby in Bethlehem were given to them. Their mundane world was changed forever.  After the disappearance of the angels, the shepherds rose, left their sheep, and hurried into Bethlehem to search for Him. Joy filled them as the gazed at the Babe lying in the manger.  They could not keep the Good News to themselves but ran through the streets sharing it with the world.

            They would never again look at their circumstances the same way.  When they became discouraged, they could receive hope and encouragement as they recalled the awesome events from Christmas Eve.  Because God did not change their circumstances, they returned to the lonely hills to care for boring animals, but their hearts were changed and filled with joy.  Those lowly, illiterate shepherds have been known worldwide for ages because they were chosen by God to receive the glorious news, and they were obedient when they followed His instructions.

            We  face unwelcome sometimes disturbing events in our lives, but God is there to guide and assist us. At times the guidance is a tiny nudge, but other times it is a huge shove.  When he appears to us, we should be willing to listen, follow, and proclaim the Good News that we have received.  When our lives are transformed, our witness of what God has done for us can be a guiding light to a discouraged soul so we should let our light shine brightly for the world to see.

            After our group left the hilltop overlooking the barren wilderness south of Jerusalem, we carefully made our way back to our tour bus.  Two young boys had followed us with their donkeys hoping to earn money by giving rides down the rocky slope.  One college student decided to take a ride and sat erect as she proceeded to the bottom of the hill.  She later explained that she had chosen to ride the donkey so that she could get an idea of what Mary must have felt riding in a similar terrain on her way to Bethlehem.  She relayed that the ride was uncomfortable, and she had only ridden a short distance—not miles and miles like Mary had done while also being pregnant.  The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem must have been unpleasant, treacherous, and very difficult, but Mary and Joseph persevered. 

            When I think of the young couple, I am amazed at what they endured while they continued to be faithful.  There would have been many obstacles because of Mary’s unexpected pregnancy—shunning and rejection by the community, bewildered families, and their own uncertainly about the future, but they continued on.  Arriving in Bethlehem did not end their trials but caused more consternation as Joseph searched and searched for a room.  Giving birth far away from home with no midwife in a dark, smelly cave must have been frightening for the couple.  Having surprise visitors who were stinky and smelly gawking at the tiny, delicate baby must have been unnerving, but they continued on. 

            During their journey, Mary and Joseph must have wondered if they had heard God correctly, but they were faithful and continued on.  Did they believe their lives would be easy because God had chosen them?  Did they wonder why there were so many obstacles?  If they were like we are, they probably had reservations and doubts, but they continued on as they remained faithful because they knew that God was with them. 

            When we follow God’s leading in our lives, He does not remove all of the stumbling blocks and trials, but he does guide us as we maneuver through them.  Just as Mary and Joseph continued to trudge through their uncertain lives with confidence that God was with them, we can do the same.   

         As we celebrate Christmas, we remember the tiny baby Jesus who was born in a dingy, dark cave as His light shined into the world.  His birth began a ministry to the world to all people beginning with the lowly, despised shepherds.  Their lives were changed after they listened to the angels’ instructions, followed the star, and discovered the wee baby with his parents.  They did not become famous or powerful in their community because of their experience, but they were joyful as they praised God.  The shepherds were not afraid of proclaiming what they had seen and heard even though they were considered lowly and unacceptable to most people of that time. 

            Our lives may be like the shepherds—seemingly obscure and ordinary.  However, we can have joy and proclaim the Good News to the world too.  A few people are called to be evangelists who reach thousands of people, but most of us are not.  Our mission can be to share with those around us and reach one at a time so each day, be observant and see who God has put into your path.

            As our bus pulled up to the outskirts of Bethlehem, it stopped and waited in line to receive clearance from soldiers to enter the area.  I studied the huge wall that had been erected around the city and felt saddened by its reality.  Because of terrorist activity, Israel had built the gigantic barrier as protection from dissident Palestinians.  A relatively small number of rebels had created a climate of fear and distrust so that Palestinians had become captives in their own city while Israelis were banned by their government from entering the city.  The town of Jesus’ birth was a city separated from the rest of the world and filled with discontent and unrest.

            I had envisioned a joyful city that was thrilled to be the birthplace of Jesus.  However, the city of poverty and unemployment certainly did not display happiness or contentment.  In spite of this, when I entered the Church of the Nativity, there was a special feeling of awe and expectation.  As I stepped down into the cave which commemorates Jesus’ birthplace and sang “Silent Night”, I was transported back 2,000 years ago.  With my eyes closed, I could see Mary lovingly holding the newborn in her arms as Joseph smiled happily.  At that moment, there was peace and joy. I had to block out the poverty, unrest, commercialism, and throngs of people crowding to enter the holy site so that I could focus on Jesus.

            Before Jesus’ birth, the Roman government had caused rebellion and dissatisfaction in Palestine by conquering the land and imposing harsh laws.  Citizens were demanded to obey edicts issued by the captors which included registering for the census.  Because of that order, Mary and Joseph were required to travel the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  It did not matter that Mary was about to deliver a baby or that the trip was difficult. The law had to be obeyed.

            The conditions of Bethlehem at Jesus’ birth were not so different from the circumstances in the city today.  Uneasiness and discontent were prevalent in both instances.   I wanted to see the tranquil Bethlehem of joyful Christmas carols and lovely Christmas cards, but what I experienced was more like the reality of life at His birth.  There was no peace on Earth then nor is there peace today, but He came to change us in spite of the strife and turmoil in which we live.  The star of Bethlehem signaled His presence that long ago night and offered hope to the oppressed.  That beacon of Light continues to shine and to provide hope for us in the tumultuous world today.