Life, I imagine, was pretty quiet for Mary and Joseph in the months leading up to their now-famous trip to Bethlehem. Joseph was probably busy in his carpenter's business, and Mary's days were probably taken up with food preparation and homemaking duties. Then, too, she was pregnant, so I imagine she was careful not to undertake any strenuous activities.

But suddenly, things weren't so quiet and ordinary for this couple. Thanks to Caesar's census decree, they had to travel 70 miles, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Such a journey would have been difficult at any time, but for Mary, expecting her child's birth at any moment, the trip must have been not only unwanted and hectic but terribly uncomfortable. Anyone who has ever lived through the last weeks of a full-term pregnancy will tell you that it's hard to get comfortable even at home in your own bed or in the plush seat of a modern car. Imagine Mary's problems, traveling on foot or on the back of an animal. Imagine her weariness as she tried to set up that stable to be as comfortable as possible for Joseph and herself.

And by the time they arrived in Bethlehem, she must have been fully aware that the birth was no longer an event for sometime in the fuzzy future. It was happening NOW. So in a final flurry of activity, she and Joseph readied themselves and their surroundings to accommodate the coming child, their baby, the Savior of the world. They must have hurriedly cleaned out a space, laying down cloaks on which she could lie. She unpacked the strips of cloth she had brought for wrapping the child, just in case the baby came while she was on this trip. And quickly Joseph must have swept the hay and oats from the feeding trough, readying it to become the baby's bassinet.

It occurs to me that Mary and Joseph had relatively quiet weeks leading up to the event and then a huge flurry of activity at the actual time of Jesus' birth. For them, the quiet preceded the hustle and bustle. And like most young parents, I'm sure they discovered that once the baby was born, quiet became pretty scarce in the months following!

For us, however, the hustle and bustle comes in the weeks leading up to His birth. My entire December is usually crammed with planning and shopping and wrapping and cleaning and cooking. I bustle about from mall to kitchen to party to choir rehearsal. By the time we finally get to December 24, I'm usually pretty frazzled.

But on Christmas Eve, when I sit in the quiet of the church and listen to the sweet story of Jesus' birth, when I join my voice with others to sing about the Savior's arrival, suddenly the bustle recedes and my heart quiets. What brings the quiet? The presence of Emmanuel, God with us.

"Emmanuel, help us to clear away the hustle and bustle so that we can feel the quiet and calm of Your presence every day.”

Author: Kay Bradburn