I slowly shuffled into the stable, so tired I could barely put one foot in front of the other. Joseph held onto me as the innkeeper quickly cleared a spot on the dirt floor. The little town was overcrowded due to the census, and this was the only available place for us to lay down our weary heads…and weary we were. Having walked and ridden donkey-back nearly one hundred miles over the past ten days, my very pregnant body ached everywhere. Oh, how I longed for some sleep, even if it was to be found on the cold floor of this dirty barn out back.

After kneeling in awe and worship at the manger of their newborn King, the shepherds had just left. They were so excited, so eager to go and tell others what had happened, sharing all they had seen and heard. I too, was so amazed, but I was much more introspective. I thought about everything that had happened, all the extraordinary things God had already done.

Surrounded by the gentle breezes of the night sky, I leaned against a cool rock deep in the field. I looked through the darkness, keeping a watchful eye on my flock of sheep. It was a quiet night in these Bethlehem fields. My shepherd friends and I chatted softly to keep ourselves awake through the late hours. Then suddenly an angel burst forth from the darkness, filling the sky with the brilliant radiance of God’s glory.

I spent the day working in the woodshop, much like every other day. But today I stayed late into the evening, pounding nails and assembling boards, all the while my mind in another place. I was distracted by the news Mary had given me not more than twenty-four hours ago. Her eyes spilled tears as her trembling hand took mine. The words came quietly, slowly from her lips. But there was only one word I heard clearly: pregnant. The rest of what she said faded into a fog of disbelief and confusion.