"While You Were Sleeping!"

Danny and I left Dawsonville on Wednesday afternoon to go pick-up a part for our broken heating system (yes, quite the cold week for a heater to break) in Lawrenceville. Well, as you might expect, that is a little too close to the babies, especially with the little one being sick for a week, so we swung by to see them even though we had vaguely heard of a winter storm advisory in our part of the state. Around 4:00, I didn't pay much attention when Grandanny reminded me that it was beginning to sleet because we were having so much fun with our Alicia and Landon but when it took us three hours to make a one hour drive home, I wish I had listened to the warning.

Our little country two mile road was nothing but a sheet of ice and my husband is the best I have ever known to navigate through snow-covered roads(we even go looking for those :)  ) but as he has reminded me many times and I found out on Wednesday evening, "no one can drive on ice." We, basically, slid on a skating rink until we reached our driveway. Home had never looked so good and I thanked God when I climbed into bed that we did not have to sleep on the side of the road although we would have made it because my "Country Boy can survive" guy is prepared! You should see his Ford 250! We could probably be stranded for 3 days and be well taken care of.   Now, let me try to tie my thoughts together today concerning tuning our ears heavenward. In 1865, a man named Phillips Brooks worshiped in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and was so moved by the experience that three years later penned the words to one of most-sung Christmas carols, O Little Town of Bethlehem. He desired a song for his Sunday School children to sing in the Christmas program and gave the words to his organist, Lewis R. Redner who put them to music and here we are, 145 years later, still enjoying the beautiful words and music.

Just in recent years, another song has been written and performed by Casting Crowns concerning this little town entitled While You Were Sleeping and I think the message is so applicable to that generation who were going about their day to day business when Jesus was born and certainly to this one in which we have been chosen to live. I don't know all the dynamics that were going on in that little town on that night when two weary travelers rode into town, probably traveling about 70 miles on rough terrain and on a donkey a young girl "being great with Child" and the most significant birth ever was about to take place.  They were in Bethlehem at the edict of Caesar Augustus, the king who thought he had concocted a great plan to have all the people go to the place of their lineage and register but really, he was a pawn in the hands of God Who had declared that His Son would be born in Bethlehem and there we find Joseph and Mary because they were of the house of David. The Prophet Micah had prophesied some 700 plus years earlier- "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Juidah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."  My heart, like yours, jumps for joy as I am again reminded that  "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will." Prov. 21:1.  God had decreed the place of His Son's birth and His plan to move people where He desires and when He desires cannot be thwarted. I find much peace and consolation in that facet of my God, don't you?  Praise His Name!

I can only imagine what the busy city looked like on that blessed night but they were not paying attention to the all-important event in the stable. I think it was Jeff, my preacher boy, who wrote and maybe quoted someone recently this- "The donkey and the oxen knew more of the night's events than the religious leaders did."  (paraphrased).   The learned should have known- it was recorded in the Book!  My thought is brief but very important today. The prophecy went out concerning the first advent and finally, He came, just as God said He would. Scriptural reference after reference prophecy that He will come again and not to our surprise, the world is oblivious to it, American numbs themselves to the reality of the times through entertainment. But, I write to the church and Paul exhorted us to wake up- "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Rom. 13:11

When I hear and I do hear people say- "I have heard that all of my life," I remind them of Peter's words in 2 Peter -"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." It may have taken what seemed like a long time for the birth of the Son but in Bethlehem that night, there was the Baby's first cries and yes, it has been over 2000 years now since that scene, but the King is coming and I am listening for the shout this time, aren't you?

Thank You, Lord, that You came as a Babe, God wrapped in flesh, Emmanuel! Thank You, Heavenly Father, that Your Son will come again and help us, as Your people, to be awakened to the truth, to be aware of the time, and to be alert as we see current events coming together for Your return, our blessed Hope! Amen!

  

Merry Christmas!  Deborah