Little Leah clutched her robe and snuggled close to her mother. “Mother?” Leah whispered “Yes, dearest?” Mother softly answered. “You said the prophets told us long ago that a king would be born, and he would be the savior of the world! Is he coming soon, Mother?” “I can’t say anything with certainty, Leah.” “How long have we been waiting?” “Around four-hundred years.” Leah was shocked. “Four-hundred! We won’t have to wait another four-hundred years, will we?” Mother smiled. “You have so many questions, my little girl! All I can say is that the Messiah will come when the Lord pleases, and we must be willing to wait.” “Why do we have to wait, Mother?” “Do you like it when people rush you? We must put our faith in the Lord our God, and wait for him to do his good works.” Mother gently touched Leah’s waist as the two looked up at a sky full of shining stars. “Trust me, my little one, when the Messiah does come, it will be worth the wait. It will be worth more than you can ever imagine.” “I believe you, Mother.” Peace filled the heart of them both, and there was silence. After a few moment, Leah asked another question. “When’s father coming home?” Mother opened her mouth to answer when the two heard a creeking door opening. “Right now!” Mother answered with a chuckle as Leah’s father entered the room. She turned to her husband, who had a bewildered expression on his face. “How were the sheep today, my dear?” At first, he didn’t answer, just shook his head in disbelief before realizing his wife had asked him a question. “The sheep were fine, as always. But something else happened in the fields that really surprised me. I’ll tell you as soon as we’ve eaten with supper.” The three gathered around a small table. Leah closed her eyes, folded her hands on her lap, and began to pray. “We thank you tonight, Lord, for our daily bread, and for Mother, and for Father, and for all you’ve graciously given to us. Amen.” With that, supper was served, and Father began telling his story. “I was out in the fields with the sheep and a few of my friends, when there was an unusual flash of light. My friends and I were taken aback. When we looked up at the sky, there was an angel!” Leah and her mother starred at him with wide eyes. “A real angel?” Mother asked, almost unwilling to believe it. “A real angel.” Father replied. If he had said it in any other manner, it would be impossible to believe what he was telling them. But you could tell from the look in his eyes that he was as serious as ever. “I—I can’t believe it!” Mother clearly had a hard time comprehending the information. “So, what happens next?” Leah said, eager to hear the rest of Father’s story. “The angel told us not to be afraid, and that he had good news for us. He told us that Christ the Lord was born in the city of David… today!” Leah and her Mother were equally shocked and delighted, to the point where mother jumped up from her chair and danced around the room, praising the Lord! “Oh, the father has been good to his people! The Messiah has come to save us all!” Father joined in, followed by Leah, who was relieved she didn’t have to wait four-hundred years for the King of the Jews to be born. When Leah’s mother calmed down, she looked her husband deep in the eye. “My love, you have quite the journey ahead of you! Our Lord has graciously chosen you to be the among the first to see the newborn king, and that’s no choice to be taken for granted.” Father nodded. “I am humbled at the fact that The Heavenly Father has selected a shepherd like me for the task. I shall leave tonight.” “I’m glad. Do you know what to look for?” “I do indeed. The angel told us to search for a baby wrapped in clothes, lying in a manger.” Leah, who was sitting across the room, gave her father a confused look. “That doesn’t sound like a king!” “He is not a king by man’s standards, but he is the son of the Lord, and that makes him more noble than any man.” Leah nodded. “Go now, dear, you mustn’t keep the newborn king waiting!” With that, Leah’s mother k!ssed Father on the cheek. Waving his wife and daughter goodbye, father set out in a mission. A mission to see the young Messiah, a promise from the Lord that would deliver each and every one of them… someday.
