Step Outside

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”

Isaiah 30:15

It was a chilly night in Bethlehem. People escaped the cold, damp air and crowded into the little inn at the end of the street. They had left their donkeys and camels in the back stable, had shut the door, and were now laughing and chattering with distant relatives they had not seen in years.

Family ties were renewed over bowls of hot soup and goblets of wine. People broke bread together, swapping stories about their long journey. A teenage boy strummed his lyre, and several fathers clapped their hands in time to the music.

While balancing a tray of meats and breads, the innkeeper answered a knock at the door. A man calling himself Joseph stood outside with his cloak pulled tightly around his head. It was late, cold, and he and his young wife who was heavy with child needed a room. The innkeeper could barely hear Joseph speak with so much background noise, but he managed to explain that there was no room—only an empty stall or two in the back stable.

The innkeeper quickly apologized and slammed the door shut against Joseph. Outside, Joseph stood and listened to the laughter behind the door. He sighed deeply, turned, and quietly led Mary to the stable. While a celebration of music and feasting continued behind the warm walls of the inn, yards away, the Son of God quietly entered history.

Sometimes the most special moments of Christmas happen not during a crowded party but in cool, quiet silence. In the midst of bustling activity, God seeks out the quiet heart.

What a contrast between the serene stable and the busy inn. If only someone had taken the time to peer out a back window, or leave the party to check on his donkey, just think what he would have discovered! Perhaps he would have seen the angels, the shepherds, and yes, even the Son of God.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, there’s room in my heart for you.