Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hear the Word of God, from Luke 2.8-18:
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.' When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."
I've been looking up the definition of the term "family" in every major online dictionary, and, after extensive review, I've come to a conclusion:
All definitions are inadequate.
From a Biblical and a practical standpoint, I believe a "family" includes anyone and everyone that God brings into an individual's life in order to keep them from being alone at life's critical times and in order to bless them.
I'll admit that my definition may be overly expansive, but I think I can justify it Biblically and practically. After all, why did God create Adam AND Eve in the beginning? He did so because "it is not good to be alone" (Genesis 2.18). Additionally, I'm sure we've all faced times in our lives when it we can attest that it was "not good to be alone." When Mary and Joseph realized that the delivery of Mary's baby was imminent, they were alone and far from home...and taking shelter in a stable designed for animals rather than for the birth of babies. Their trip to Bethlehem had left them unprepared and on their own. But, they weren't alone.
God chose to let nearby shepherds be the first to hear of the birth of Jesus, the promised Messiah. It was altogether fitting that this happened, since Jesus' ancestor David, who became the greatest king the people of Israel had ever known, had started out as a young shepherd boy watching over his father's flocks in those same fields near Bethlehem. However, this Christmas I'm particularly struck by the fact that God sent them to Mary and Joseph...yes, they were sent to see the newborn King of Israel, but they showed up when Mary and Joseph were alone, frazzled, and exhausted. They were THERE, and they served as family on that night long ago. Granted, shepherds didn't have a great reputation among communities of those days, and, well, they smelled like sheep! Nevertheless, they were there...sent by God to be family when the presence of family members was a good and needed thing.
This past Monday, I underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. I awoke from the anesthetic at 4am on Tuesday to discover a breathing tube in my mouth that made it impossible for me to talk. I also discovered that I had a plethora of tubes coming out of my body, and that my hands were tied down to the bed to keep me from voluntarily or involuntarily trying to tamper with the tubes.
Sitting beside me was a nurse who introduced herself as Janet. She held my hand and said, "I know your family can't be with you while you are in this hospital due to Covid-19 protocols, but, as your nurse, I hope you'll let me be family to you right now." She was able to anticipate every question I had, offer reassuring answers, explain what had happened to me and what was going to happen in the next few hours, and hold my right hand the entire time, constantly reminding me that everything was going to be fine since God was ultimately in control.
Janet told me about her family, and she let me know that her first time off from work since the beginning of the pandemic would begin at the end of that shift. She was eager to see her new granddaughter for the first time! I could tell that she was tired, but she chose to sit next to me and hold my hand when she could have easily sat at the nurses desk in my room and worked ahead on completing her paperwork. She even stayed with me past the end of her shift in order to reassure me when the technicians arrived to remove my breathing tube. I wasn't able to ask about her last name or snap a "selfie" with her via my cellphone. But, that night, God sent me family when my family couldn't be with me...God sent me a shepherd named Janet, who offered me the finest pastoral care I've ever received anywhere at any time. God sent me family.
The doctors and nurses tell me that I'm fortunate to be alive, and that I've recovered so well that I can be discharged on this Christmas Day. I am a grateful man. I am grateful for my own family, but I'm also grateful for my extended medical family at Charleston Area Medical Center. I'm grateful for my Facebook family, who have offered prayers on my behalf and sent encouraging notes. I'm grateful for former church parishioners and friends from as far back as my childhood who have reached out to me and let me know that I've not been alone in this.
And I'm grateful for Janet, who, though she may never know it, has been my shepherd in one of life's critical times and will always be a part of my Family.
All I can say on this Christmas of 2020 is this: Look around you at the shepherds God has brought into your life at critical times. Try not to be critical of them, even if you may disagree with them politically, economically, or socially...or if you find that at times they smell like sheep! Instead, be thankful to God and to them for being Family to you when you needed them.
And continually remember that God had made it possible for us to be part of His eternal Family through the life, death, and resurrection of the Baby born in Bethlehem long ago.
May you and your Family have a blessed Christmas this year!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
Amen.
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