He hated the smell of the donkey, and what made it worse was the animal’s hair got over everything. He couldn’t even embrace her without it getting on his clothing too.
It was on the special night when the young couple made their way to Bethlehem. “Ohhhh!” She let out another cry of pain. “Dear God!” He said out loud, “Help us to get there, before the baby arrives!”
He was so occupied, so worried, that he never saw the Bright Star above them as they traveled that night. Miriam knew though. Smiling, she said nothing.
He said a quick prayer from the liturgy too, “Baruch atah Adonai, Eluhenu Melech ha Olam.” (Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the Universe.) If they could just make it to the Inn at Bethlehem, he knew it would be alright.
It was not only dark now, but it was very late when they did make it to town. No one answered at first when he banged on the door at the Inn. “Hello! Please help us!”
“Go away” came the response through the door. “There’s no room here!” “Ohhh! Joseph, the baby!” His wife was in so much pain. Desperate now, Joseph turned to the door again, and pounded. “Open the door, you dog!”
“Go to the stable around back!”, came the response. Joseph was turning red with anger now. It was Miriam though that calmed him down. Holding her stomach, she touched his arm and pleaded softly, “Please Joseph, let’s go to the stable.”
And once they were settled in the hay, he experienced the most awful, the most horrible, and yet the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He wasn’t sure he would ever make love to her – not with all this pain she went through. He couldn’t stand it.
And she had been so brave! Somehow, she had had the strength, to survive the gossip, the looks of disgust of those that did not believe her.
All he could do really, during the birth, was to help her breathe. She never took her eyes off his. “Breathe Miriam!”, he would continue to say, helping her through the pushing, as he held her hand. It went on like this through most of the night.
“Joseph!” She yelled, then she screamed, and suddenly the child fell into his arms! “Dear God!”, he said out loud again. And suddenly light filled the place, an almost blinding light….. “Joseph……” the now exhausted Miriam managed to whisper…….. “Joseph, this child is very special……”
He managed to whisper in return, “I know….” As the light overwhelmed them completely, they both wept like children, as he gently placed the child, on her chest, covering him with blankets………
Writing © Copyright 2017, ancient skies,
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