When I was growing up I had a love of being outdoors. My mom says as a baby I would scoot my walker over to the screen door and say, “Side… side…” I wanted to go outside. As a young boy, I had a Western Flyer bicycle, red of course. My friends and I would ride the neighborhood all day. We would build rickety ramps with scrap lumber and hit maximum speed from down the block to see how far we could fly. The stories I could tell, but let’s move on.
Age eleven, as Christmas was approaching, I was asked what I wanted. My only response was, “A bike with gears!” I thought, if I had a bike with gears, I would be a big boy and could go even more places. Christmas Eve came (we always opened presents on Christmas Eve) and under the tree was a decent sized box with my name on it. The box didn’t quite seem big enough for a bicycle, but maybe some assembly was required. My turn came and I ripped open the package and looked inside only to see a wrapped box inside. I pulled it out with a puzzled look on my face and hastily removed the paper from it. Opening the box revealed another box which, too, was wrapped. I opened the third box only to see another wrapped gift. I knew now it could never be a bicycle as the boxes were getting smaller and smaller. Finally I opened the smallest box and found an ink pen. I held it up with a smirk and a “thank you.” My dad said, “Open it.” I furrowed my brow as I gazed at the pen. I unscrewed the pen and found rolled up inside a note. Unrolling the tiny scroll revealed a poem. This poem was a cypher to a location. After I decoded the clue, I ran to the new location only to find another note. On this note was a poem whose riddle had to be solved. Solving the riddle led to another location. Whatever this gift is, I’m having to work really hard to find it. My scavenger hunt took me all over the house until, at last, the final location outside rewarded me. A bike with gears!
Sometimes the journey to the promise looks nothing like we expect. A young couple had plans of marriage and a great life together. Joseph, a carpenter by trade, no doubt had already planned, maybe even started, construction of the family home where he would receive his bride at the end of the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony. Their plans were interrupted by an angelic visit to Mary. Joseph’s dreams were shattered at the news of his fiancé’s announcement of being with child. Her story was hard to believe and he made plans to break off the engagement. After and angel encounter of his own, he accepted his commission to be the earthly father of Immanuel, God with us. As men do, I’m sure Joseph planned out the receiving and raising of this special gift entrusted to him. He didn’t want to get anything wrong, and leave not detail to chance. Then a decree was made for a census to be taken. He would have to travel 90 miles to Bethlehem over a rough pathway through the Judean mountains with a pregnant fiancé, a trip that would take about a week to walk.
With no hotels.com or Expedia to book ahead, they would have to find a place to stay when they arrived. The implication is, Bethlehem is where Joseph’s family originated, so he would hope to be able to find lodging with a cousin or uncle or something. When we read the story that there was no room in the inn, we think all the hotels were full. A more literal translation would give the impression none of his family had room for them in their homes. This could have been due to more family than space, or it could have been because no one wanted to have the couple, who was expecting a child out of wedlock, to disgrace their home. Imagine the frustration of Joseph trying to find a bed for his travel weary little family. As if that wasn’t already a stressful situation, Mary goes into labor and gives birth outside in less than ideal surroundings. The birth is successful but he has nowhere to lay the newborn. He finds a feeding trough, undoubtedly filters the cleanest hay he could find and they lay the child there. Joseph must have felt like a failure. Nothing has gone as planned. Why did God pick such a loser for the most important task ever given to a man. Soon he found himself surrounded, not by family and friends who were concerned and excited for him (remember, all of his family would have been in Bethlehem for the census, but not one of them came to see), but by smelly shepherds who had been up with sheep all night.
For some reason, after the census, Joseph decides to stay in Bethlehem. He would have secured or even built a house and found work in the area. It was a rough start, but he has managed to get things on track. He comes home from work one day to find some strangers from far away bringing odd gifts for a child. After they leave an angel brings news of another unexpected interruption. They would have to go live in Egypt for a while, after which he returns to Nazareth. To Joseph’s understanding, nothing went the way he planned it, but everything happened to fulfill prophesy and bring the promise.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
Our life takes many unexpected twists and turns. Just when we have everything figured out, the rug gets jerked out from under us and we splat on the floor. We work to unwrap the promise we feel we have been given only to find another layer has to be unwrapped. Sometimes we feel we are on a scavenger hunt through life to obtain the promise of God. Let these words ring in your ears today, and hold on with both hands.
Sometimes the path to promise is not as you expect. But hold on to the promise because he who promised is faithful.
