A Shepherd's Story

We have this expression:
Rich men grow up to be lawyers,
Fine speaking men grow up to be Pharisees
and poor men who can't talk
are nothing more than shepherds.
So bear with me her, 'cos I'm a shepherd
and I'm not use to talking to rich folk
in a place where you are supposed to pray.
Now shepherds know a lot about loneliness,
about talking to themselves and yelling at foxes and wolves.
We know something about black nights that you swear will never end
and we know about being despised.
What is it about taking care of little ones
that means you're lucky to just get paid?
About the only job more hated than being a shepherd
is to be a tax collector.
Small men those tax collectors.

But I have learned that what don't mean squat to man,
can mean everything to God.
You see - I have seen angels
and I have seen the baby who made all of heaven sing.
And what I have seen nobody can take from me.
Let me tell you my story.

Me and four guys were doing the night shift with the sheep.
Jethro the youngest was on the verge of getting hitched and
we were giving him advice ... like
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard
  all the bleating of a wife."
And
"God made men to be nomads
and women to ask for directions."
Anyway, while we were talking
the night air became so still,
we thought a violent storm was coming.
But the night was cold and there was no cloud in the sky
and no sound of wind anywhere.
Suddenly before us was an angel as bright as the sun
and the whole sheepfold was glowing.
We felt like specks of dust on a firefly's belly
like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnance
and we were scared.
We buried our heads in the earth but we could not hide.
We thought we were going to die -
When the angel said
'Don't be afraid.'
Said he had come with good news.
He told us about the saviour being born
and that we would find him in a barn.
Then suddenly -
Every black inch of sky was filled with the bright,
blazing light of a million angels.
And every quiet lonely inch of sky was filled with thunderous song!
"Holy Jacob's Ladder!" we cried.
What Jacob could only dream about
we were seeing before our eyes!
"Glory to God," they kept on singing.
"Peace on earth and God's favour to everyone of good will."

When the angels left, we headed off to Bethlehem.
Not one of us stayed with the sheep.
I suppose the moment went to our heads but we figured
if God cared enough to tell us this news - via angels no less -
He could be trusted with the sheep,
while we were doing what He wanted us to do.

Now about finding the baby, this is going to sound strange.
It reminded me of looking for a lost little helpless little lamb.
Not that the baby was lost, but the overwhelming joy we had
in finding him was like:
finding something precious that we had lost
and now suddenly had found.
When I first saw him I thought "What news is this?"
"He's no more than the rest of us"
and then as though my heart could see
I knew I was seeing God
at his very weakest and most vulnerable moment.
And somehow in that one moment
I knew in such weakness
Jesus would be all the strength and mercy
I would ever need.