Tell Me A Story: THE CHRISTMAS STORY

Mary Marcia
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS:

THE CHRISTMAS STORY

Copyright 2011 Marcia Norwood

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Did you memorize The Christmas story from the Holy Bible as a child? My classmates and I memorized most of the second chapter of the book of Luke, in Mrs. Ballew's 3rd grade class at Franklin Elementary in Liberty, Missouri, in 1958.

1955: First Day of School at Franklin Elementary: Friend Joy, Marcia, Cousin Tandra. Copyright 1955 Marcia Norwood. (Liberty Public Schools integrated in 1959. I'm the dark skinned girl in the middle...thanks to my suntan and my American Indian heritage.)

What a treasure to have this scripture hidden in my heart all these years.

I can still recite most of the Christmas story...although there are times I can't remember where I put my keys, or even my children's names. In a rush - I'm known to go through the list of all their names, and have on occasion even called my children one of the dog's names.

"Kristin, Dave, Ben, Sarah, Faith, Sheba, Cotton Candi, Rascal, Izzy Belle, Pearl Ming Zhu, Daisy Duke, Tilly, Joshua, Megan, Emily, Caleb - whatever your name is - it's time for the Christmas story!"

Christmas Eve we gather on the floor (before we open our gifts) to read the cards we have received throughout the season, and then we read the Christmas story from the Bible in the book of Luke, Chapter 2.

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed..."

Often in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I forget the Christmas story is about real people who paid taxes just like you and me, in a real place, the city of Bethlehem.

I stood on the rolling hills of Bethlehem in 1997, and actually saw shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks. Bethlehem is just a few miles outside Jerusalem, Israel.

Bethlehem looks much the same now - as it did over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born.

Bethlehem means "City of Bread."

Jesus is called "The Bread of Life."

The Bread of Life was born in the City of Bread!

The leader of our tour group, Dr. Bob Collins, asked me to lead a devotional at The Shepherd's Field, Terra Santa, in Bethlehem. I began to recite Luke 2, the chapter of the Bible that I learned in Mrs. Ballew's 3rd grade class nearly 40 years before.

Others had memorized it, too.

Imagine! God could have announced Jesus' birth to the richest, most prominent people in their mansions, or to political leaders in palaces. Instead God chose to send the angel of the Lord to the lowly shepherds, common men, going about their ordinary tasks with sheep on a hillside.

Sheep are cute, but they can be stinky and stubborn.

The Good Shepherd continues to interrupt ordinary lives and brings His light and love to stubborn, stinky sheep like you and me.

We all have a reason to celebrate this Christmas.