If I Had Been There!

[lillibet53]

If I Had Been There

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
                               -- Luke 2:16

Of Christmas Eve, Martin Luther once wrote, "There are some of us who think to ourselves, 'If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed his linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!' Yes, we would say that. And we say it because we know now how great Christ is. But had we been there at that time, I don't think we would have done any better than the people of Bethlehem."
 
Martin Luther has a good point. And I'm afraid he's got my number. I'd like to think that had I seen a young couple wandering into town, the wife ready to deliver and with nowhere to go, that I would have said to the innkeeper, "Now see here, you must have a room somewhere!"  Or if that didn't help, to turn to Joseph and say, "Please come with me to my house."  Or, had I encountered Mary and Joseph with their baby in the stable, I'd like to think I would have brought candles to brighten up the place, swept the floor, sprayed Lysol on the manger...anything to spruce up things to welcome the newborn. 
 
But Martin Luther was right. Now that we realize who that baby was, sure we would roll up our sleeves to make a difference.
 
Here's the irony: Why don't we do it now? Jesus says that whatever kindness
we extend any neighbor in need, we do it to Him. We can help that homeless
couple with nowhere to stay. We can lend the pregnant woman a hand. We can
make a difference for a baby in need. We can use our time, prayers, finances,
creative thinking, and our homes. And the Lord will count it all as service
to himself.

(from More Precious than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada)

[DaRvrnd]

Great word, Liz! Thank your for sharing!

[CanuckLynn]

Amen Liz! 

[Tara5684]

Amen Liz, Thank you for sharing this.

Your Sister in Christ,
Tara