The world experienced a whirlwind type of year in 2023. It’s about to come to a close soon after a short pause for the world to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
It’s always been interesting to watch people of other faiths adapt themselves to use Christmas as their celebration through some form.
In childhood years, the first day of winter, less than a week prior to Christmas, meant nothing about nature. It was a time filled with anticipation of Santa’s gifts to come, an extended family gathering with more gifts, Grandma’s candy, and gazing at Christmas tree lights glinting off strands of silvery icicles hanging on tall boughs. Characters within the nativity scene on top the Philco TV were constantly rearranged, sibling after sibling after sibling.
Six decades later, nostalgia reverted to the beginning of year 2023 and all that transpired as weeks were devoured faster than Grandma’s candy.
Thoughts of moving the three wise men and their gifts in the nativity scene created a comparison of their gifts to Baby Jesus with gifts Angelkeep offered. Spring itself became a gift, following a winter not harsh. Crocus emerged early as though a sign surer than that bright star of Bethlehem. They suggested blessings were yet to come.
Three Wise Men’s three gifts remained an annual feature of Christmas. Covid 19’s three shots, seemed to have turned to “lumps of coal in a stocking” when Covid hit the Angelkeep household. Perhaps the three shots aided in lessening the disease’s impact and shortened the course. At least in 2023 medications remained available.
During the Angelkeep quarantine period, birds built nests. Nests soon held eggs, then nestlings were cared for. Their loved ones supplied their every need. Today that remembered activity reflected God’s gift of Jesus being birthed at Christmas to supply mankind’s every true need.
Gwen’s severe health condition finally found an answer via major surgery. The condition’s diagnosis came later than normal. This caused added work and recovery. The lessons of caregiving on an extreme level, witnessed earlier as bird parents provided for their helpless children, had also been learned during the Covid quarantine. The strongest did for the weakest of a married pair of Covid patients, roles flip-flopping by the hour.
Post-surgery days reflected the parenting care for baby birds and fawns at Angelkeep. Angelkeep life revolved around the pain, needs, medications, and rehabilitation of the patient. All alternate activity time necessarily converted to additional caregiving time. Covid and major surgery recovery tested the “in sickness and in health” wedding vows spoken over two decades prior in the very same living room.
Recovery periods involved weeks without day and night concepts. Pain, disease, and medications hark no heraldry regarding light and dark hours. Sleep occurred in short bursts during any opportunistic moment. A new Covid-coughing spell or a surgery pain surge instantly awakened all who slumbered.
It could only be imagined that the shepherds dozing while watching their flocks by night were awakened just as abruptly when a host of heavenly choristers, numbering a multitude, began harkening their carol of the joyous announcement. A Christ Child is born this day, in the city of David, the town of Bethlehem, so get up and do your Biblical duty. No, you don’t need to take a gift.
It could not have been an easy task to roust the sheep and herd them toward Bethlehem to follow instructions supplied by the heavenly hosts. In the travel frenzy, some shepherds may have carried a slow sheep part of the way. It involved a journey of love. Love was a gift greater than gold, frankincense, or myrrh.
Joseph felt that love of God. He cared for Mary’s every need, providing her a blanketed donkey ride, rather than hiking the miles as he was forced to endure due to government demands to meet in Bethlehem to be counted among his family. It seems Rome started the Christmas family gathering tradition, albeit unwittingly.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Surgery recovery wasn’t promised quickly. Christmas approaches with a renewal of faith, hope, love, joy, peace, thanks, and anticipation, steady and true, like every camel stride headed toward Bethlehem. Rays of the Star of Bethlehem continue to light Angelkeep’s path ahead.
Emmanuel! (God with us.)
Mr. Daugherty is a Wells County resident who, along with his wife Gwen, enjoy their backyard and have named it “Angelkeep.”
