Honored by Roberta Kells Dorr

Author:Roberta Kells Dorr [Dorr, Roberta Kells]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781441239389
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2003-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

The trip to Bethlehem soon became a reality. Donkeys were borrowed, provisions were organized, and the relatives in Bethlehem were notified. There was to be no sleeping in the stables on this trip. Mary, of course, wanted to visit the stable where she and Joseph had found shelter the night when Jesus was born, but she didn’t want to linger in its cold, damp darkness. The rains were about to descend on Bethlehem along with the cold. It would be necessary for those who were going to have warm clothes and a comfortable, dry place to sleep.

It was taken for granted that I was to go with them. Though I told no one, I had a secret desire to find one of the shepherds who had been out on the hillside that night tending his sheep. I didn’t think this would be a difficult task, since there were many in Bethlehem. I was fascinated by the appearance of angels that kept edging into this story. No one else seemed to realize how strange it was that at every turn these people made, an angel appeared to guide them.

I had gotten the family name of some men who were shepherds. It became evident that this was an occupation inherited by certain families. If the father was a shepherd, then the son would also become a shepherd. It was a hard, tiring job with very little reward. They were practical, silent men who would never imagine anything. If they said they saw an angel, then one could be sure they had seen one.

The day before we left, Mary came and motioned for me to follow her. She led me to a backroom where some of the family belongings were stored. I immediately spotted a small carved chest sitting on a pile of sheep skins. It was clumsily made, with lilies carved into its surface. “He is the lily of the valley” was carved around the outside, while on the inside was the word “beloved” in crude Hebrew script.

“This box is supposed to have belonged to King David when he was a boy,” Mary said. “They say it was carved for him by an old shepherd. As you can see, it is rough and simple. Perhaps that is why no one claimed it and now it is mine. I keep my most prized belongings in it.”

She lifted the lid, and I could see only a fold of white linen and some dark objects. They didn’t seem to be the kind of thing that would be considered prized or special. I wondered why she treasured such things.

“See,” she said as she gently lifted the linen piece out of the box. “This is the swaddling cloth I wrapped him in, and these are the cords that held the cloth in place.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and I could see that this was indeed a great treasure. I wanted to reach out and touch the cloth but was so overcome by her reverence for it that I drew back instead.

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