I remember a time when Bob and I drove to California to spend Christmas with our son’s family. We were hoping for non-eventful-weather driving, checking the Weather Channel for what we thought was the best day for winter traveling.
Hopes for uneventful travel were dashed about 25 miles from home when we encountered snow, which at times became sleet. Roads were slick. Turning south at Jordan Valley, snow got heavier. At Winnemucca we had heavy rain. Over Donner Pass we added fog to the heavy rain, and one lovely microburst which pelted us with rocks. Finally, around Sacramento, the sun came out with 55-degree temperatures. We laughed and noticed that we hit everything but hail. Shouldn’t laugh at Mother Nature. We had hail and fierce winds on Christmas Eve in Modesto. All in all, a typical winter trip of 635 miles and about 12-hours. At least it was in a warm comfortable car.
It is about 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, that’s how far Joseph and Mary traveled … with Mary 9-months pregnant. I wonder what the weather was like then. I wonder how many days it took and if there were places to rest along the way. I wonder if they understood that the Child she carried had to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecies. I wonder if they truly understood God’s plan or if they were simply obeying the king’s decree to be registered for military and tax purposes.
“When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” [Gal 4:4 NKJV]
That first Christmas “the fullness of time had come.” God was appearing in human flesh, in Bethlehem, in humility. God had a plan, and the time had come for God’s plan to be unveiled.
God has a plan for each of us. We don’t always see the pieces and parts as they fall into place, any more than probably Joseph and Mary understood all the reasons behind this arduous trip at this time, a trip that ended in a most humble place, a gathering place for animals.
God, in flesh appearing. “Wonder of Wonders!”
