Advent blog – December 16

Read on for lovely Christmas story: On the night before Christmas, a young father was annoyed and told his 3 year old daughter off for having wasted expensive gold tasselled ribbon on a Christmas present. Christmas morning she proudly presents him the present, a box wrapped with the golden tasselled ribbon.

When he opened the box, he saw there was nothing in it and once again began to tell his child off. 

“You can’t give an empty box as a Christmas present” he said “It has to have something in it.”

His daughter started to cry and then sobbed: “Daddy, the box is full – it’s full of kisses for you”

It is so easy to miss the present if we are looking for something different.

The innkeeper in Bethlehem missed out big time.

Inns in those days weren’t smart five star hotels. They were a bit more like campsites  – rough and ready with no running water. Having made the difficult journey Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem to discover the inn was full. There was no room for them.

If the innkeeper had known who was going to be born that night  I am sure he would probably have found room in his inn… but he was too busy.

Please don’t be like the innkeeper this Christmas. Don’t be so busy with running a business, buying and wrapping gifts and coping with Covid-19 restrictions to spare a moment to recognise the baby Jesus at your door.  Let’s spare a thought and put ourselves out for those who look tired, who are homeless, for those who for whatever reason feel hopeless and helpless.

Feel free to contact me through our info@thewateringhole.org.uk and I will do my best to answer your questions.