So yesterday I was thinking about the shepherds. You know the ones? Those “In the fields by night” kind of guys. I had to teach kids about them once and to help them appreciate the shepherds position in life we talked about how smelly they would be. I know….not very spiritual….but true. Think how you would smell if you were in the fields outside of town with just big fluffy sheep for companions?
Now some put shepherds in a category of outcasts from society, but others say they are just another group among the poor. Either way, they give us a picture of separation from other people and the normal rhythms of life. To have a big flock, you would need a big area of grass to feed them. Have you ever seen sheep go through a field? And when that field is done, you need to move them to another one. The life of a shepherd was not a normal one of home and family.
So…Why do the angels tell these guys? Was heaven so crazy with excitement that it could not contain the celebration? The party was so wild that the heavens split and the craziness spilled out into the hills of Bethlehem. I don’t know about that, but all I do know is that these were the men who first heard confirmation of this incredible birth. On that night, the angels could not contain the joy of heaven and brought day into night. And they brought it to these men. The outsiders, the humble, the poor single guys who might not have smelled really good.
While my life is nothing like the shepherds, I like their story because sometimes I feel like I am on the outside looking in. I used to hate that feeling, but now I see that it has its advantages. Many times it gives me a different perspective, and I am grateful for that view. Sometimes, like those shepherds I feel like heaven opens up and gives me a view of something other worldly. Something beautiful! Those are the times I am grateful for who God has made me, but I still fight it. It feels lonely sometimes, trying to find a place where you fit. Now don’t get me wrong, I seem to be able to pass through many groups but while I can do that I am never totally comfortable where I am. I guess that seems to be the way God means for it to be, so I try to be content. And when I feel out of sorts about it, I remember the shepherds and the amazing thing that happened to them that day. It was to them that the angels brought the best news of all…..
But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke 2:10
How do you talk to people? Especially people you don’t agree with? As I was reading, I was struck by two conversations this morning. Two conversations, two different outcomes. Two different questions, with two different intents. And one Jesus.
When the one man heard wisdom in the answer, Jesus said “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” Sounds like a mile marker to me. How the man approached the question and reacted to Jesus’ response, showed something about his heart.
“I gotta live how I say I believe.” It doesn’t roll off the tongue very easily, but it’s something I’ve been saying a lot lately. It’s mainly due to my children and their struggles, or the downright danger they put themselves into. Honestly? Some of it just has to do with me and my response to the world around me.
So what’s the difference between using men or friend? Well, it seems that it’s all about perspective. If I see these men bringing in their friend, that makes sense. They love their friend, and are willing to go out on a limb for him. Or when it comes to me, I can give my friend a picture of who Jesus is, by how I live. Maybe they even think like “cool….tell me more”. But I checked out 5 or 6 different translations and they all just said MEN and it changed my perspective.
It seems to me this is kind of how life works. We’re all in need of healing and could use a little Jesus to do that. Along the way people can come beside us and take a corner to help us get to where we need to be. If we see this story only through the lens of helping a “friend,” then we might miss out on all of the other opportunities God brings our way. Those chances to help people we don’t know, see Jesus.
That’s the plan, and it is way harder to do than it sounds. But you know… ya gotta live how you say you believe!
This year was kind of funny because Lent started on Valentine’s day. Not coming from a liturgical background, I have only started following this tradition. (In my own made up way) So a couple days ago, I was reading a blog written by a young Catholic woman, and she made the connection between Valentines day, the whole “love” thing, and Lent which prepares us for the remembrance of the greatest act of love ever. I thought that was kinda cool. Up to that point, the only connection I had made about the coincidence was to tease my friend that she may need to celebrate Valentines on Tuesday. 
I think it is going to be an interesting year. There are things that I am looking forward to, but I also feel a little concerned. Why? Well it all comes down to themes. When I read or see things, sometimes themes appear. So far this year, I have seen this thread of beauty through pain, and it has caught my attention.
So when your husband leaves a home store and says, “that place is really cute,” then you gotta know it’s something special! That was my husband’s response when we went into Studio 12 Homes in downtown Lemoore. It was time to get back in the “pink” and see what the professional women of Kings County have going on.
My name is Zulema. I was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and I am 20 years old. I was brought to the U.S shortly after my fifth birthday along with my brother and sister, who were also very young. My dad had already been to the U.S. a couple of times in an effort to support our family and give us things he never had as a child. While we stayed behind with our mother, she did everything she could to make sure we were okay. With our dad being thousands of miles away from it wasn’t easy for her, and we knew it. 
Cheryl Mendoza 