jsb

Every few nights my husband makes a request: "Will you please read to me from the Jesus Storybook Bible?" And he excitedly leaps in bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, watching me wide-eyed, grinning and expectant.

Story time is on my top-five-fav-list of things that we do together.

Last night we read the story of angels appearing to the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night.

It never ceases to amaze me, how angels just appeared to a bunch of stinky shepherds in the middle of pitch-black night. Can you imagine? I would be terrified. Raul, Jessie, Ichabod, Liam and Zeb are chilling in the middle of a damp, grassy, poopy field, sheep all around, a small fire keeping them warm... and then *BAM!!* the sky blows up with blinding rays of unimaginable light and this huge other-worldy-being appears in front of their eyes. (Liam wishes he wouldn't have had that second cup of matte)

I love how the angel says, "Do not be afraid!" because he knows those shepherds are probably peeing their pants.

Then this angel of the Lord is joined by a "vast host of others -- the armies of heaven" and the shepherds get a private concert of angelic voices praising God saying, "Glory to God! To God be fame and Honor and all our Hoorays!" (JSB)

And after the angel tells the shepherds about Jesus' birth, they take off running down into Bethlehem to find this baby boy they've heard about and have been waiting for.

They leave their sheep (not the smartest animals) and head for town. Amazing. I mean, I guess when you've seen a heavenly host of angels singing and praising God you don't have much else to think about. 

Suddenly, on that dark night, nothing else mattered but getting to Jesus. 

And after they saw Jesus, they went back to their sheep and conferred that it was exactly as the angel had told them.

So, although I'm super nostalgic and love this season and time of year, I still can't relate with the shepherds. At least not physically. But my heart does leap when I think of heaven and our future, eternal lives. And I still need to be reminded to "fear not" for HE is with me. I just wish I could run into town and hang out with Jesus.

Until then, I'm glad He left us with so much to think about, someone to shout praises to and so much to be thankful for.