Mindsinger

Did you ever stop to think that a newborn baby doesn’t need to do a thing but lie there and sleep to be endlessly fascinating? We don’t expect him to react to baby talk or smile at us or even open his eyes to captivate us. But somewhere tucked away in our hearts is a picture of all the things this baby will mean to his family; all the wobbly first steps, the smiles, the excitement of first words, and the promise of a new life. So, what did the shepherds see in this child they had found? How about Mary and Joseph? What did they think as they studied his face and counted fingers and toes?
The shepherds’ hearts were filled with the splendor and music of Heaven. They knelt before the child the angels had called a Savior and Christ the Lord. The humble stable – a place familiar to keepers of sheep – disappeared and all their attention was centered on this wonder before them. They had had no time to think of Isaiah’s beautiful words or call to mind the many other prophecies about the child. But they had seen Heaven opened and knew He had come from that glorious place There was no room for doubt in their minds.
Mary smoothed the downy head and tried to forget the crown of thorns that would one day rest there. “There will be time for mothering! He need not be Messiah for a few years. He will be my child and I will keep him warm and I will love him!” For nine months her thoughts had vacillated between wonder and dread. She had listened as scripture was read in the Synagogue and knew they spoke of her son. The first wonder at the news had softened into awareness of the new life growing within her and kept her thoughts on the soft warmth of his newness and the tenderness of a new baby.
Joseph was as much in awe of the child as the shepherds; but he had had nine months to ponder the scripture passages about the Messiah. He had memorized many of the prophetic scriptures and he knew with certainty from where this child originated. He knew that Isaiah had seen him, high and lifted up, with the Seraphim thundering his praise in the throne room of Heaven. He knew this child had somehow left the glory that had been his since before time began and allowed himself to be born into the home of a poor carpenter. “Where is the glory hidden?” he asked himself. “You are God in man, yet you give yourself into our care! I helped Mary deliver our Deliverer! God help me to be your protector!”
Each one saw the Child through mortal eyes and each kept the wonder of that night as a warm hope in their hearts. Yes, a baby was born that night; born as all babies are born, and in conditions as poor as many millions of babies are born today. I wonder if any saw the echoes of glory in his eyes.