Advent 10: Affirmation, Consolation

Erica pointed out another role of those shepherds the other night.

Mary and Joseph, to put it mildly, are experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. And I'm sure there were many days filled with doubt: "Was that really an angel? Was this really a conception by the Holy Spirit? Is this baby really who they say he is?"

I'm sure that barn felt lonely that night. Some relief with pregnancy and labor finally over, but now with a screaming baby next to a bunch of animals, probably not much. I'd imagine questions swirling, like "Why here?" and "What next?" and "Really, God? Seriously?"

And breaking the isolation, here come the shepherds rushing in with a story just as preposterous as their own. "A bunch of angels told us about you! We're looking for a baby in a manger. We're looking for you."

To anyone else, they'd appear as a bunch of crazies. To Mary and Joseph, walking by faith, this was just odd enough and familiar enough that it couldn't have been coincidence. Dirty, crazy shepherds became timely affirmation and consolation: all this chaos is worth it, and it's not some delusion, either. Something bigger is in fact going on here. Puzzle pieces coming together.

With an unexpected baby arriving in our lives last Christmas, I know this feeling well. Just when you are scared out of your mind and doubting the whole thing, there is more affirmation. A "still, small voice" screaming through more wonderfully bizarre circumstances, or unexpected people showing up on the scene, something to the effect of,

"Take heart. This is by design. You're doing the right thing. Wait and see."

Walking by faith can be scary, a dig-your-heels-in-fear-and-trepidation kind of thing. But God often seems so timely and brilliantly creative in giving just enough needed for the next step of courage.