Shelter

When traveling to a wedding in 2009, my husband and I decided to stay with my younger, single brother to save a little money.  He had said we would need to bring an air mattress, and then the day before, said we would also need sheets.  We were skeptical at this point, but broke, so we went ahead and went. 

That would be the longest night of our lives. 

The dogs outside barked until midnight, until they stopped, and we realized a radio had been left on outside.  At about two in the morning, one of his five (yes, five) roommates, began a bongo concert down the hall that didn’t end until four, followed by his other roommates’ cell phone alarm going off at six, and the roommate nowhere to be found.  When it was finally time to get up, I said, “Get me out of here!!”

We were thankful for the free room for the night, but at several points that night, thought, “Really?  Really?  Here?”

God provided what Mary and Joseph needed, and I’m sure at some point they thought, “What?  Really?  A stall.  You want me to give birth here?”  We often want more, and complain about what God has already given us, but some of those things we don’t have build character later.   (Or in our case, provide a really good story!)  Isn’t it enough that he gave us a shelter to begin with?  He didn’t promise deluxe accommodations…

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”  Luke 2:7