A Little Bit of Faith: A Time for Christmas

One night while the snow fell softly upon the winter grass, the animals began singing their songs of praise on Christmas Eve. Lifting their faces toward the heavenly night sky, they saw the star appear brightly just beyond the hills. Swaying back and forward while they sang, they nodded their heads in rhythmic beat. Singing songs that praised the heavenly King, their soothing choral music could be heard near and far.

As the star began to glow more brilliantly, it appeared to point toward something afar. The animals knew something special was happening. In years gone by the animals had heard the shepherds talking among themselves. The shepherds had mentioned of a King that was to come. One night while a sheep was resting against her shepherd’s knee, she heard him talking about a Messiah he was hoping to see one day soon. The little sheep knew that this Messiah had to be special because when the shepherd spoke of this King who was to come, his eyes filled with tears. Looking toward her shepherd’s face, she nestled her head in his lap and dreamed a fanciful dream.

The little sheep began hearing angels singing and praising a King in her dream. They sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all men.” Listening to the heavenly chorus, the little sheep began to smile. In her heart she knew that somehow her shepherd was waiting to praise the Messiah the angels were singing about. The little sheep also began singing songs of praise to this King the angels were singing to. Then the little sheep began to sing. Upon hearing the little sheep singing softly in her sleep, the shepherd awoke and looked at the sheep amazed.

So on that special night of the first Christmas, a child was born. The animals knew that this special child, Jesus the Christ, the savior of mankind, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was the one that many of the shepherds had been waiting for. And so the next time you see animals gathering quietly in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, and you hear gentle hymns of praise coming from the animals that have gathered, they sing to remind us that Emanuel has indeed come and now Christmas is with us always.

Merry Christmas!