NO ROOM

I dare to defy time even as I construct virtual space; I dare to jump into this tortuous vortex of cerebral travel to picture Joseph and Mary just behind the Census lines; I dare to stand besides Mary as the baby Jesus kicks in the womb, expressly delivering, like a FedEx delivery guy, the initial pangs of birth; Yes I dare to punch the receptionists at inns for saying “we are fully booked”... but of course you can’t mess with the plans of the MOST HIGH!

Like you would ask if you happened to get prior info that, the child that Mary bore was God himself made flesh... “Why are all the rooms in all the inns booked?” but I am only a man trying to understand within my limited mind, the unlimited wisdom of God, so I keep my cool expecting a miracle from God, whom I believe is still in the business of dead-raising manifestations, talk less of sorting out accommodation for Himself...

So, from 5 stars we start checking out 4 stars without any trace of favour in the 3 stars, we simply ignore the remaining stars (if 5 stars were fully booked, you do the maths)... Since we knew no members of Joseph’s bloodline, we decide to take a breather at a stable down Palm Avenue as Mary’s teenage waist was hurting from the long travel to Bethlehem and light showers were dancing down from the heavens...

The stench of stale sheep dung and horse dank sweat hit my nose as I walked down the stable corridor looking for a work bench on which she could sit, Joseph scanned round the stink-hall-of-fame without disgust (quite impressive considering His knack for neatness), searching for a spot to start a little fire to keep away the cold from the draught that was picking up pace... I find nothing other than an old manger lit by the flickering rays of smelted oil lamp, typical with the age...

I beckoned on Joseph to help her get to the end of the corridor where the feeding trough lay... oddest occurrence being that there was nobody to tend the stable, not even a receptionist (snickers)... so we (Joseph and I) had to run around the stable to get everything we wanted – by now, our olfactory lobes had accommodated the high class stink... Funny how baby Jesus got justifiably violent immediately Mary sat on the Manger...

I left Joseph with his “baby-mama” in search of a local nurse only to find most of the houses empty... I look up and scream “IS HE REALLY YOUR SON?” no response... Cos God doesn’t talk based on our terms, which would mean we are His GOD! Then I hear a distant noise and see a large fire glazing the night sky... it hits me... THE BETHLEHEM CARNIVAL (the hottest annual event this side of the east)... little wonder all hotels were booked and nurses were MIA (missing in action)...

So I run back to the manger to find Mary screaming her head off while a frazzled Joseph ran around not really sure of what he was doing.... medical instincts, from hanging with mum at the hospital as a kid, kicked in... Of course not all facilities were available in a stable, but a creative always makes do with the available... bucket (check)... fodder (check)... water (check)...knife (check)... willpower (check)...and the rest is what you were taught in Sunday school...

In five minutes the whole affair is over...

Baby Jesus glows as he’s cleaned up by Joseph even as the mother’s eyes glisten with joyful tears... in no time she’s all cleaned cuddling baby God with all tenderness... I take a walk out the stable to find the largest star I have seen, heard or read about looming over the manger... it felt really close like it was about dropping down into the manger...

Then I thought back on the events of the night and the consequences of the whole happening... it wasn’t coincidental that God chose to be born in human form in a manger... the consequences where not just entirely spiritual but also physical... no organization or human entity could claim rights to this franchise... he was freely given through the humblest of circumstances, so that all men that needed life could freely access him...

It was pre-planned that his birth would encounter the “NO ROOM” embargo in the physical so that when the filled rooms where emptied of the festivities, the succeeding void and emptiness would gnaw on the Landlords such that it was only when they invited this same Jesus in to lodge permanently that peace could reign in their homes...

This was just twenty-five days ago and I haven’t left this spot since... still standing and pondering on how long it will take for you to realize that he couldn’t find any room in Bethlehem, so that the entire world would make room for... He was turned down by hoteliers and home owners in Bethlehem... would you also turn Him down?

It doesn’t cost you anything to let Him in to that room... funny thing is when He is given room, He creates room for others to lodge and improve your life... MAKE ROOM