Joseph's story

 The day I met you was one of the most stressful days of my life.    We had walked for four days to get to Bethlehem to register for the census.  Id done the journey many times before, but never with a heavily pregnant wife, and never with so many people on the roads.  It was hot and busy, but at least there were plenty of people to chat to, and of course your presence in the form of a sizeable ‘bump’ was a good conversation starter.    We had found places to stay along the road – a cousin of your uncles sister and a business associate of mine put us up for a night each.  Not exactly luxury, but good enough and it was kind of them to offer their food and beds to us as we travelled.   But by the time we got to Bethlehem your mother was very tired and somewhat anxious that we would find somewhere to sleep that night.   Town was heaving with people, and with soliders.  I’d never seen such crowds.    We arrived mid-morning and went to the inn I usually stayed at whenever I was in Bethlehem on business.  They were full and said that everywhere else was too.  So I sat your mother down in a corner, bought her a drink and some lunch and told her Id go and find somewhere for us to stay.   She looked exhausted but I had no idea that you were about to put in an appearance!

I was probably gone for a couple of hours, maybe more.  Id had no success at all in finding anywhere for us to stay and I have to say I was getting somewhat anxious.  I mean, I could have quite happily camped out under a tree or in the market square like so many others were doing, but with a heavily pregnant wife....... well, despite my pleading I wasn’t having much luck so I had decided to come back and get Mary so that we could plead round the doors of the inns and hostelries together.  I reckoned people would react more sympathetically if they could see just how pregnant and tired she was.

When I arrived back at the inn Mary wasn’t in the corner where I had left her.   For a minute I wondered  if I was in the wrong hostel, but then I heard an odd noise and saw her on the other side of the room, being held up by the innkeeper’s wife and moaning in pain.  I instantly knew that something was wrong.  By the time I got through the crush of people and reached her she was out of the public rooms and in the innkeepers own living quarters.    She was doubled over in pain, her robe was soaking wet, her skin was pale and she had a look of terror in her eyes.  All she said was ‘  He’s coming’.

I am not sure how many hours passed that afternoon and evening, but I can tell you now my respect for all of womankind increased two thousandfold as I stood by helplessly watching my beautiful young bride working for hours to give birth to you.   I’ve seen plenty of cattle and goats and camels born in my time, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight and the sounds and the emotions of that last half hour.   I don’t know how she did it.   Truly.  She was amazing.   She held onto me and kept on repeating over and over again   ‘ His name is Jesus.  We are calling Him Jesus.  The angel said.  Jesus.  My boy is coming’    And then all of a sudden there you were!   A slippery blue/pink bundle with a shock of black hair.   I couldn’t stop laughing.  It was sort of like shock I think – an involuntary reaction to your safe arrival.   I wrapped you in my shirt and kissed your face and held you up to show your mother who was also laughing and crying and still saying your name.

The innkeeper came in with a jug of wine and some bread and cheese.  I had not realised that we had not eaten at all that day and I was starving.   Whilst the innkeeper’s wife helped your mother with various ‘ women's things’  I sat with you on my lap and looked at you.  I have never felt such incredible love before.  You were perfect.   And you were mine.  I felt that really really strongly , even though in one sense I knew you weren’t mine.  You were God’s.   But I felt like your father, and God had trusted me to be your earthly father.   I told you there and then that I loved you and that I was so proud to be your Dad.   I told you that I would look after you and teach you all I knew and bring you up in the faith of our fathers.   And I also apologised that you had to be born in a hayloft.   I got the feeling you forgave me for that.