“How many totes do we need for Christmas?” He would grumble, usually after hitting his head on a floor joist (which really only escalated his Scrooge-ish mood). “Can’t we get rid of some of this?”
Aside from pulling it all out from the crawlspace, I loved rummaging through the totes and helping my mom transform the house into a Christmas dream – and of course, one of my favorites was setting up the nativity.
There are so many things I have come to appreciate about our Savior’s birth. From His humble beginnings, born in a manger with no room in the inn, to His mother, Mary, a virgin who was espoused to Joseph and found with child. More recently, I have developed a curiosity for the wise men: Who were they? Where did they come from? And how long had they waited for the star, the sign the Savior had been born?
While the traditional Christmas story depicts three men who came the night of the Savior’s birth bringing with them gold, frankincense and myrrh, the scriptures reveal very little about these men. But, from what information is available, we can presume they, along with many others, had anticipated His coming for a long time.
In Matthew 2:11, we learn that the wise men were not actually present at Jesus’ birth in the stable or perhaps any time during His infancy. The scripture reads: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him …” This means the wise men most likely came months or possibly even years later.
We can only imagine their excitement when the sign of His birth finally appeared. In Matthew 2:10, it describes the account: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
How many times have we felt that joy as described in Matthew after a long-awaited answer to prayer? As beef producers, you might not be waiting for a star, but I am sure you have prayed for the markets to improve or at least stabilize. Earlier this year, those in the Upper Midwest may have wondered if their prayers were heard as blizzards, rain and flooding came relentlessly and, at times, simultaneously.
It’s easy to get discouraged when answers to prayer don’t come, but Christmas is a reminder that there is always hope. It teaches us that even when things seem dark, we can always trust in Christ to be our light. Answers might not come immediately, but they eventually do come and usually when you least expect it. 
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Cassidy Woolsey
- Editor
- Progressive Cattle
- Email Cassidy Woolsey
