Never before have I offered anyone my stable, and I don t think I ever will again. There have been many cold nights in Bethlehem, and the wind is constantly biting the flesh. So that was no reason to offer the stable. The woman was about to give birth to a child, I should have suggested they go to the midwife s house, but I offered the stable.

I m not sure why they accepted either. The stable is cold, drafty, and smelly. People who have been on the road a while keep their unwashed animals there, along with the animals I own to feed my family. There must have been better places to have a baby, but they accepted my offer.

Before I went to bed, I heard some commotion out there. I thought she might be having her child, but an innkeeper has to mind his own business. I guess I could have offered them some clean blankets, but that really wasn t my problem. I guess that I was kind of hoping that they would just take the baby and leave.

It wasn t until a giddy group of shepherds showed up that I went to check things out. I didn t want anyone stealing my sheep. They acted as if they were drunk. You know what I mean, they were unusually happy. They said they had seen angels. I didn t smell the liquor, but they must have had something. Before they left, they even told me that the little boy lying in my manger was the Son of God.

All I know is that I was very relieved when that young couple moved out of my barn, and rented a small house in town. Since they were neighbors, you might say, I got to know them, a little. Mary and Joseph were good people, but they had some strange friends. One day a whole caravan of foreigners came into town to visit them, and give them money. Then as suddenly as they appeared, this family left the country.

Years later, they passed through town again, on their way to the Passover in Jerusalem. Can you believe they forgot their son in the big city? I just don t understand people now days.

Jesus, that was his name, became pretty popular when he grew up. I even heard that he was performing many miracles. I started to wonder if the shepherds might be right. Maybe this was the Son of God, and maybe he would free us from the Roman dogs. But that thought ended when he was crucified last year. Now its over. At least, that s what I thought.

Today, I met a man named Peter. He told me that Jesus wasn t really dead. He told me some far out story about a resurrection. I laughed and began to walk away until he mentioned the angels. I don t know why, but the shepherds words came to mind. Then Peter also said he was the Son of God.

I listened as he told me how Jesus like Moses, led us out of slavery. Not the slavery of the Roman s like I had thought, but something far worse. Jesus, the Son of God freed us from the slavery of sin, death and Satan. Then, it all started to make sense. God came to earth, God was born in my stable.

I really don t know how to feel. Maybe I should be proud that God chose my stable. Maybe I should be ashamed I didn t make room for him inside. Maybe I should be sad that I really didn t get to know him very well while he was on earth, but Peter said I should be happy. Even though I didn t have room for him at the inn, he has room for me in his Father s house.