“The Inn”
The journey’s end is not what it seems
Follow the light…
Where it leads … is where to begin…again
Joseph and Mary were dusty and worn
The long day was drawing to a close as fatigue from the journey, and Mary’s condition, paced each weary step. Afternoon shadows lengthened and the village of Bethlehem had yet to come into view. Each hills crest found the horizon swallowing the well worn path slipping over the next hill.
Memories of the angel messengers seemed distant as stars made their faint appearance.
Night had nearly fallen when the weary travelers arrived at the little inn at Bethlehem.
Mary, had been experiencing birth pangs since they had left Jerusalem earlier that afternoon. A recently arrived caravan from the far Eastern lands had roiled the city with their talk of a “star.”
It’s appearance had been a sign of great significance to the Magi who had organized the caravan. It signaled a “king of the Jews” had been born in the land of Israel. The Magi’s appearance had left the city in an uproar
Mary had not wanted to alarm Joseph, but the sudden wave of nausea overcame her and a groan escaped unbidden from deep within her frame.
Joseph, concern etching lines on his weathered face, reached for her arm. Seeking to comfort her, he squeezed it gently. He was a man of few words, but he was kind, and Mary knew his concern was genuine.
He tied the donkey to a hitching post with fumbling hands and hurried to inquire if there were room for them in the Inn.
Bethlehem was swollen with those returning to register. The expected Israelite hospitality, extended to even distant relatives, had been strained to bursting.
Accommodations for travelers in the small village had all been spoken for and Mary’s birth pangs signaled, room or no room, a God’s son was about to be born.
Beads of sweat clung to her brow and plastered wisps of hair to the sides of her face, gaunt with pain.
Her eyes had a glassy faraway look. She unconsciously brushed the dampened strands away from her eyes.
Another involuntary spasm racked her body. She withdrew to her world within to face the pain without distraction.
As the contraction subsided, Mary felt the first flush of panic seek residence in her mind.
She resisted the impulse, but it was clear;
