No Normal Family

I love the Christmas story because it is about a helpless little baby born in a strange place far removed from anything that we might have considered important or of value. Yet, this baby is life and all the best that there is in the world. Think about your own life…… Think about your children…. What is most important to you? What do you value?  What do you value for your children?

 Leading up to the Christmas story I want to share about that family: This story is about an old childless couple named Zack and Liz. Zack was a priest just doing his job at church when an angel appeared to him and said that he and his old wife Liz were gonna have a baby. The baby was going to be a special messenger. Not normal because Zach and Liz were old. Zach was shocked and frightened by the angel and just couldn’t believe he and Liz could have a baby so the angel took away his ability to speak. Zack went home and Liz did become pregnant. Not normal.

Meanwhile….in another town, that same angel came to a teenage girl named Mary. Mary was pure and innocent. She was a virgin but did have a boyfriend named Joe. The angel told Mary that she was going to have a baby and that he would be the savior of the world. Mary was also frightened and scared by this not normal visitor but she believed it and said she would do whatever she was told. Virgins do not have babies. This too was not normal. These were just normal people living normal lives. The angel told Mary that her old cousin Liz was gonna have a baby too. Mary decided to visit Liz. When Mary arrived at Liz’s house, the baby inside of Liz leaped for joy. Not normal.

3 months later, Liz had her baby. It was a boy. Everyone was so happy and celebrated. At the circumcision and blessing of the baby, Zack got his voice back. Not normal. They named the baby John.

While this was all happening, Mary was engaged to Joe and her belly was growing.

 Mary told Joe that she was pregnant. O boy, Joe was a good man but this news was too much. Just not right. Not normal. Joe planned to gently dump Mary in a respectable way. She would get the troubles coming to her. But one night, in a dream, the angel told Joe the whole story. Joe broke off the break up.

As the pregnancy continued, Joe had to travel back to his home town to sign up for the census. Mary was ready to have the baby but they had to travel by camel. There was no where to stay when they came into town so a man let them have his barn. Not normal. The baby was coming.

Meanwhile…..A bunch of poor, dirty, foul shepherds where taking care of their sheep out in the field. While they were out working, a choir of angels appeared in the ski and began praising and singing songs to God and a message to the shepherds. Shocked, scared and amazed they watched the show. Not normal. When the show was over, the shepherds rushed to find the baby that the angels sang about. There he was, lying in a manger. They praised and worshipped him. I wonder what Mary and Joe thought about this?

Meanwhile…… In the far east, wise, scientists were following a star that was a prediction of the savior of the world. They traveled long and far following the star until they came to the barn with the baby. Not normal. They brought gifts and presented them to the baby. I wonder what Mary and Joe were thinking?

The Christmas story is not normal. But it is beautiful and powerful. The Christmas characters are not normal, they are Supernatural Normal. So think about yourself and your children. Are you just normal ordinary people? Don’t be normal. You are not normal. Be Supernatural normal because that is who God is – He takes normal people, doing normal activities and makes them Supernatural Normal. Go change your world. Merry Christmas!!