The Shepherd's Story

Have you ever wondered what happened after the shepherds left the manger? Well, just maybe...

The stars were shining brightly
upon the shepherd lad;
he looked up from his resting place
among the sheep he had.
The sky grew even brighter,
and then the glow took form,
and an angel spoke unto the men
and promised them no harm.
The angel told of the Christ child's birth
below in Bethlehem,
where and how he could be found
by every one of them.
Then suddenly the skies burst forth
in songs of praise and joy,
something overpowering
for a young shepherd boy.
When the angels disappeared
and the shepherds found their strength,
they left the sheep for Bethlehem,
running the entire length.
Once inside the crowded city,
they began searching for a manger
among the tired travelers,
the beasts, the buildings, the strangers.
Faintly, from the noisy mass
a baby's cry was heard,
and the shepherds made their way
to a stable where animals stirred.
The young shepherd gazed upon the Child,
found just as the angel had said,
wrapped in strips of cloth
with hay beneath his head.
The lad worshiped there in awe
and left praising God to men,
returning to the hillside
to take care of sheep again.
Many nights he lay awake,
wondering if the angels would return,
but no more was said from Heaven;
no more could the shepherds learn.
He had toddling nephews who were slaughtered
He knew years of quiet waiting,
and he spent a lifetime remembering angels,
listening... anticipating.
He heard rumors of a prophet.
He heard stories of miracles done.
A man, the Messiah,
Jesus, God's own Son.
The grown shepherd traveled to Jerusalem
and arrived in time to see an empty tomb.
Jesus' followers told the story
of events in an upper room.
The shepherd visited the believers
who claimed Jesus fulfilled God's Word,
and tears filled his eyes as he listened
and joy filled his heart as he heard.
For he remembered how upon that hillside
the angel had foretold that day
and how the babe was found in a manger,
resting upon the hay.

From December 18, 1990