Invitation.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;" Luke 2:8-10

As I carefully took out the pieces of our family nativity, I placed them out on my mom's favorite table in the entry way. Beautiful Mary, strong Joseph, and sweet baby Jesus. The animals spread out around them. I opened up the box with the three wise men and placed them off to one side. To the other side I gently placed the shepherds. An angel and stars completed the scene and I stood back to see the display. There in front of me, in wooden figurines, was the Christmas story. 

Every year as I place out each piece of the story, I imagine what it must have been like to live each different character's role. Different years, different characters catch my attention. This year as I opened the boxes, my mind wandered to the shepherds. 

I was kind of surprised, to be drawn to the characters that seemed to play such an insignificant role. But as I thought more and more about their part in the bigger picture, I found myself identifying with them. What purpose do they have? Why do we place them there in the nativity scene each year? What do the shepherds have to do with everything we celebrate at Christmas? 

Because, I never really paid them much attention, I never realized how beautiful the part of the shepherds truly is. They enter the story, humble. There in the fields they tended to their flocks. Simply put, they were doing their job and minding their own business. Like many of the characters in this story, they had no real say in their part, God choose them long before they knew. As they herded their sheep, angels appeared in the sky and shared with them the good news; a miraculous display of light and glory. 

Shock and a sense of fear overcame the shepherds. They had been completely caught off guard. They had no idea any of this was about to happen in their world, in their town, above their field, and to each of them. The angels appeared to them. And I have to think that at some point that phrase, "why me?", must have crossed their mind. More than that, the shepherds did not hesitate upon hearing the news, but rather immediately went to look for what the Lord had just revealed to them. And as they searched for the sign, the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger, they must have wondered why they were invited to share in such a journey. 

But, what the shepherds did upon finding that precious baby amidst the animals, was spread the good news. Not only did they accept the invitation, they extended it to all those they met! They told of the angels, the glory, the baby, and the beauty of the story itself. And God knew, when He chose them that not only were they worthy of their part, but more than capable of sharing such a crucial message with the world. Joy had come and the lowly shepherds got to share in that hope. 

It was strange, the more I thought, the more I loved the shepherd's piece of the story. They had become like the forgotten middle child, or the plain bagel behind the counter of a million flavors, there but not really noticed. They are crucial, but not necessarily memorable. And suddenly, I found myself feeling completely like the shepherds. 

Every day we should be living the Christmas story. But maybe we forget. In moments of despair, seconds of desperation, when we feel like all is darkness, we cannot see the way our lives encompass the story! In the hustle and bustle of the holiday, maybe we forget what the story really means and perhaps we overlook our own roles in it! Have we become the crucial piece that seems to be lost in the shuffle? 

God placed the shepherds in the story for every perfect reason, I am sure. Humble, simple, humans working in the field, picked by God to share in the journey to the glory of God's love alive in a Savior. Maybe, like me, you feel kind of the same. Busy doing just the routine of life, but God wants to bring your character to life in His story. Christmas is His invitation for us all once again to follow His path of hope. Life can be trying, tiring, and treacherous but hope lives because we have been shown the promise of good news! We have been asked to make our way to the manger and we have been given the chance once again believe that there lies the Prince of Peace, in swaddling clothes, eager to not only invite us on the journey but to pursue our hearts as we pursue His role for us along the way.

The angels may not flood your living room with light tonight and speak to you of the glory that has come to earth, but God sends the good news to you just the same. He is inviting you to embrace your role in the story as you prepare to celebrate once again the beauty of Christmas. Shepherds look after wandering sheep. On a night when they assumed nothing of the sorts, these shepherds were invited to be the part of the story that reminds us that no matter how low, or dark, or unworthy we seem to feel, God has an important role for us. He has a reason for our hope. Will we search for that hope? 

Who is He showing you in the story tonight, and how will you respond to His invitation?