Nyla, the Shepherd's Daughter

Nyla, the Shepherd's Daughter

This is a fictional story. A story borne out of my desire to be standing next to the manger when my Savior was brought to earth in the form of a baby. The only way I could think to have that happen, since I'm a girl, would be to be a little girl whose biggest wish was to spend the day with her Father in the field with the sheep. Finally she got her chance and on that day the Angels came and told them about this newborn Baby King. (Scripture taken from the NLT version of the Christmas story found in the book of Luke)

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"But Mama, whyyyyyyy can't I go? I'm really good at keeping an eye on things! Just this morning you asked me to keep an eye on Mara while you ran to the market, and when you got home you told me I did a great job! Pleeeeeeaaaaasssseeee, may I go to the field with Papa?" Nyla pled with her mother as they pulled the bucket up from the well. Her greatest desire was to spend time in the fields with her father, brothers, and uncles. I guess you could say she was the original tomboy.

Nine year old Nyla was Peter and Deborah's daughter. Peter was a Shepherd by trade. He cared for a flock of 800 sheep with his brothers, Dan, Paul, Isaiah and Jordan; his sons, Asher, Abraham and Benjamin, and a few men from the village who had become more than coworkers, but were much like family. She was always there to help with the sheep whenever she could. Shearing time meant carrying the wool in from the wagon to her mother and then joining her in spinning it into yarn to make the blankets they would sell in the marketplace. When a newborn lamb was in need of care she would often be asked to help care for it. She loved the sheep and lambs, but most of all she loved her Papa, and, contrary to cultural tradition, he adored her, too.

Peter knew it wasn't right to let his daughter think she could do the things the boys could do. It would not be helpful to her when she got older and got married, that's for sure. She would be too much like the man she married if he wasn't careful. He couldn't help it, though! She was such a hard worker and, unlike his sons at times, she had a gentle connection with the sheep that made it easier on all of them when they needed to calm the herd down. As much as he hated to admit it, she, of all of his children, was the natural shepherd. Surely Jehovah created her that way for a reason, right? What would it hurt to have her join them in the fields this time? His mind was made up, he'd talk to Deborah about Nyla coming with them for the next trip out.

"OH, Papa!! THANK YOU! thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!! I'll be the hardest worker out there, just you wait and see!"

Nyla had just been told she would be coming with the men to the fields for the next few weeks. She was thrilled beyond belief! SHE was going to the fields! Little did she know, though, that she was in for a lot more than spending time doing what she loved to do. Her life was about to be changed in a way she had never dreamed.

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"That Nyla sure is a hard worker, Peter" Dan said to his brother. "Now I know why you wanted to let her come with us. It was a good decision. Jehovah help her future husband, though!" The men all laughed at Dan's joke and nodded in agreement.

Nyla was thoroughly enjoying every task she was given by her father, uncles and brothers. Every day she spent in the fields was like confirmation that she was to be a shepherdess. She dreaded the day when she would have to marry and become a wife and mother who stayed home and cared for the house, kids and chores. She was made to be in the fields caring for the sheep and reveling in the wonder of the world around her.

There were times, when she had night duty, that she would sit and stare at the stars above her. She would recall the scriptures her father had read saying the heavens declare His majesty and knew it to be true. Being a ways outside of Bethlehem, in the stillness of the night with just the bleating of the sheep to remind her she was not the only being on earth, she couldn't help but sit in awe of Jehovah G-d. Her family took the Torah seriously. Jehovah was very real to her. She wondered about the Messiah sometimes, too, asking the sky if it would happen in her lifetime. Would she know Him when He came?

Maybe it was Herod.

NO! He was so mean! So full of himself. Certainly not the kind of servant-leader the Messiah would be.

Nyla sighed and prayed in her heart that she would recognize the Messiah when he came. A sheep bleated then and pulled her out of her revery, back to the task at hand.

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They were all standing around the fire when it seemed the sky burst into flame. It was so bright! What on earth??? Not one of them remained standing for long as they fell to their knees in fear. These men (and one little girl) who were to be brave in the midst of danger were kneeling with hands up to shield their eyes when they heard the voice.

"Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

The men (and one little girl) slowly stood up and murmuring of questions could be heard as they wondered what the angel meant. They didn't stand for long, though, as they fell to their knees again seeing a vast choir of angels join the one who had spoken. They burst into song like none they had ever heard before.

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Nyla knelt with the others, her eyes wide and her mouth hung open. The Messiah? THE Messiah? Really? But the angel said he was a, a, a BABY. The Messiah was a baby? He was supposed to be a King, but how would a baby save the world?

She finally realized the angels were gone and her father, uncles and brothers were talking about going to Bethlehem to see this newborn baby. She needed to keep on task! She wasn't about to miss this opportunity!!!

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None of them had stopped talking about the angel's visit and discussing what they might find when they got to the city. It would be so crowded with the city jam-packed full of everyone there for the census. How would they find Him?

Nyla was too small to be noticed by the men, so she simply walked along with them looking up and talking to Jehovah in her heart.

"Oh, Jehovah! How incredible my life is in You! First I get to spend time in the fields doing what I love, and now I'm on my way to meet the Messiah! Who am I that my life is so blessed by You? What a surprise, too, to be told the Messiah isn't actually a grown man, but a baby! A BABY! Ah, will Your creativity never end? A nine year old girl made to be a shepherdess, and a Savior born like all of us. Like each star I see in the heavens Your ability to catch us off guard never ends."

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"Father! Look! Behind that inn. There seems to be a glow coming from the barn. Could that be? The angel did say the baby would be in a manger. Isn't that strange, Father? That the Messiah would be born in a barn and laid in a trough the animals eat out of?"

"That is strange, indeed, little Nyla. However, we must remember what Jehovah tells us in the Holy Scriptures - His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He will never cease to amaze us in the ways He works if we just keep our eyes open looking for Him at work. Let's go see what that glow is all about."

So Nyla and her father, uncles and brothers walked toward the barn behind the Bethlehem Inn to see what this strange glow was. As they drew nearer they noticed the animals seemed to be unusually quiet and, was it possible they were....reverent? A hush seemed to encompass the barn. A holy hush. The city bustled about, but as they drew closer it was as if the sounds melted away like the snow from their clothing when they came down from the hills.

Nyla couldn't help herself. She started to walk faster and faster until she nearly ran to the door of the barn to peek inside. What she saw was breathtaking!

Laid in the manger - the very place from where the animals ate - was a bundle of cooing newborn. His mother was beside him, and his father on the other side. Cows, sheep, donkeys and other barn animals surrounded them. They all faced the manger, too, as if they knew this baby wasn't just a baby.

As Nyla stood transfixed the baby's mother (the Messiah has a mother?!) looked up and smiled.

"Come, little one. Meet your Jesus."

Nyla started. Did she say "your Jesus"? MY Jesus? Yes. Yes, she knows that this baby isn't hers, but ours. Our World's Messiah. She knows.

Slowly Nyla made her way to the manger where the human form of her Heavenly Messiah lay. She could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She could not help that her hand reverently reached out to hold the hand of the very One who had come to earth to save the world. She could not have stopped herself from kneeling if she had tried. This. This baby was a KING. He wasn't just a newborn child, but He was a Savior - a Messiah - sent to earth from God.

There was no stopping the others, either. As they knelt in reverent worship of a baby they knew was their Savior, the baby's Mother and Father looked on in awe. How did they know? How did they know to find them here?

Of course they knew. They themselves were visited by angels, why would Jehovah keep this child a secret?

As Nyla knelt she felt a hand on her head and looked up. Mary, the baby's mother, had gently laid her hand on Nyla's hair, and she had the sweetest look of contentment on her face. Nyla knew the angel was surely sent from Heaven to bring them to this place. She knew, too, that her life would never be the same. Not only would she be a shepherdess, but she would be a storyteller to anyone who would listen. She would tell all she could about the night her life was changed. The night she met and held hands with the Messiah

A Sinful Woman's reflection on a Woman of Righteousness

Luke 1:26-38 NLTIn the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail. ” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

I don't want to, nor can I, personalize this as if I were Mary and can relate to what was going on inside. When I was younger I faced a pregnancy as a single woman, but that was the result of my sin. Mary's pregnancy was the result of her virtue! Knowing my own experience I have to wonder, though, what went through her head. Did she wish God had chosen someone else at times? Did she have private conversations with Him when she wanted to hide in the covering and never come out? It was during my pregnancy that God got my attention and changed my life. Mary's life certainly changed, too. One day I was reading Mary's account of being told she would have a child, and I remembered my own experiences way back then. I will emphasize that I can in no way, shape or form, know what it would be like to be held up as virtuous enough to carry the Son of God. However, the responses of others and the weight of those nine months are something that got me thinking....Did Mary's prayer life go something like this?...

Did she say to Him, "My Lord, You are my Yeshuah, and I give You praise. But, OH, ABBA! Why me? I am a simple woman who loves Your law, but who am I to carry the Messiah?!? THE MESSIAH!! The One my people have talked about and waited for - why did You choose ME?"

I believer that could be a prayer of her heart, but what about the moment when she told Joseph? Was her prayer a bit different then?

"Oh, Abba! Father! El Berit! God of the Covenant! My Joseph is hurt and very upset that I am carrying this child! When I say He is the Child of God, our Adonai, I sound like the crazy woman who lives up the hill! WHY ME? WHY have You chosen me? Yahweh! Must I lose my Joseph and be alone so he Messiah may come? Yahweh-Shalom, I need Your peace! Yahweh-Jirah, I need Your provision. Help me trust You, Yahweh-Shammah. Calm my spirit - I trust You."

What about when the people have found out and think that she and Joseph (the "Barbie and Ken" perfect couple?) have been intimate before they were meant to be? The pain! The ridicule and the looks!!

Did her private prayers sound like, "OH. MY. ADONAI! My spirit aches and my heart is broken by the things being said by our "friends" and the people we come in contact with. Yahweh, I know, and Joseph knows, that it is The Messiah - Soter - Whom I carry, and our hope, trust and strength are all in You. Bolster my spirit that the painful things being said will not cut through. Adonai, I am Yours and I love Your law - turn my ears deaf to the words of condemnation and close my eyes to the looks of scorn. I'm so unworthy and weak. Why have You chosen me? Surely there are stronger, more capable women who could and would be a better choice! I am humbled, Abba, that You find me worthy. Give me the fortitude to continue to be so. El Shaddai - My El Shaddai - El Elyona, Adonai!"

My sin...your sin...she carried the weight of all of us in the form of a tiny baby for nine months. The saving grace is Jesus' death and resurrection, but please do not look over the miracle of Christmas and what was sacrificed for YOU and for me.

Any of these prayers could be. How awesome to have lived a life God saw as worthy to carry His SON! And how thankful I am for Mary to do so and bring MY Soter - My SAVIOR - into this earth in human form!!

He gave up streets of Gold to walk on paths of dirt so we can walk those streets of gold WITH HIM for eternity. Selah.

Sing a Song of Christmas

I am a music teacher by trade and love all sorts of music. When I talk about music it comes from a place in me that was planted at birth and has been watered, fertilized and grown over the years by many other music lovers. Because of their hard work in me I have been able to sing in international choirs with people who know a handful of English phrases and whose language, I'm sorry to say, I knew even less of. There is a reason the phrase "Music is the international language" resonates so clearly with so many. So......today's post has a bit of a different twist because I'm choosing to focus on the music of this Christmas Season and not directly to a Bible passage. I hope I've proven my love for the Word of God, and that I encourage others to fall in love with the Author of our Souls through the sharing of that love, but sometimes I am overwhelmed in WONDER of our marvelous God when I learn the stories behind the songs of my favorite Season of the year.

Today I won't focus on a specific song, but rather on a defense and call for churches around the globe to get back to the practice of singing Christmas songs in their services during the season of Advent. I know many churches still do, but there is a general trend heading away from it "because it might offend or turn off some people seeking a place to connect." (or whatever other excuse they give...)

I need to stop for a moment and ask your forgiveness now because I can feel my heart starting to beat faster and my fingers are making silly mistakes because I can't type fast enough. I know this is a HUGE trigger issue for me. It aggravates me to no end that we water down a Christ-centered gathering so we don't offend visitors. Do we not realize that people come to a church because the world is watered down with so much stuff that they're looking for a place where the focus is clear and not apologized for? So, if this seems a bit too passionate, please look past the person to the heart.

Why do Apple users cling together so much in solidarity over a brand? Because it's clear and focused on one thing - Apple. It's not Android vs. Windows vs. Chrome vs. whatever (I'm not a name person, so please go with the idea of what I'm saying and not the specifics. Thank you.)

In-n-Out is famous all over and yet they only have restaurants on the West Side of our country. Why? Because they are focused and clear. You're not going to have to look at the menu and figure out if you want a hot dog, a gyro, a bowl of chili, a salad or a hamburger. You need to figure out what you want on your hamburger and how you want your fries (well done are best!).

So WHY can't the church get this message?????? Stop the marketing! Stop the madness of trying to remain focused by NOT singing Christmas music because Christmas music can be heard in every store, gas station, elevator and radio station outside the church!

THAT'S THE COOL PART ABOUT CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!

NO Other time of the year does the world conform to what's going on in the church! At Christmas-time they do!!! Pentatonix released a new song this year - have you heard it? It's a beautiful rendition of "Mary, Did you Know?" WHAT???? A secular group singing a song asking the woman chosen to be the mother of our Lord, JESUS CHRIST, if she KNEW He was going to wha? SAVE. THE. WORLD!!!

In a world where people are seeking peace -
In a world where people are seeking grace -
In a world where people are seeking answers -
In a world where people are seeking what they cannot explain -
CHRISTMAS MUSIC IS TELLING THEM WHERE TO FIND IT!!!

So, why aren't we singing these songs?

(caveat: in no way, shape or form am I condemning the singing of year-round worship songs in our services during Advent. I am, instead, saying Christmas songs ARE songs of worship, but they're not songs we would sing during, I don't know, April, so we need to sing them when we can!)

I've discovered over the years that we are losing out on the twice a year attender. No longer do families deem it necessary to attend a Christmas-Eve service or an Easter service. I've asked myself why and I've asked friends who are those people why....Christmas and Easter in the church meant CELEBRATING the very reason for those holidays.

In one church I attended we actually were given plastic eggs full of confetti to throw in the air at the end of the Easter service in celebration of the FACT that we serve a RISEN Savior. That was 16 years ago, and it still moves my soul every time I think of it. WHY, Christian, can't our faith be exciting and celebratory like that??? WHY can't our Christmas services throughout Advent take the opportunity to sing the songs everyone else is hearing everywhere else but the church service they decided to attend because that song by (insert secular artist who would never sing about Jesus but wants to release a "holiday" album to make guaranteed money here) reminded them that Christmas stirs something in them only found in a Christian Church?

If you're a church that doesn't sing Christmas songs, can you tell me why? I really believe you're missing out on a tremendous opportunity because if someone hears a song triggering the hole in them where Jesus knocks and they attend your service, but don't know any of the songs because you're singing mainstream worship songs they've never heard of, they won't be back.

I have friends who grew up in the church but no longer attend. During THIS SEASON of focusing on a baby sent to earth to save our world, they long for those days when their childlike wonder was fed by the lights, the decorations, the Advent candles, and the *songs* they sang with others who may not even (yet) know that Baby King. Is your church giving them the place to find that wonder? Are YOU celebrating the very fact that this baby came to earth from a place where houses are made of diamonds and streets are paved with gold? HE GAVE THAT UP and we're singing beautiful songs of worship, but missing out on the opportunity to bring JOY to the World on a Silent Night that Came Upon a Midnight Clear.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season, we've all said, read, or heard - so why don't we, the Church, boldly announce that WE have the ANSWER a weary soul is seeking....in the songs they already know? We can't make them comfortable by watering down the Gospel, but we can certainly make them comfortable by allowing them to nestle into the stable with the shepherds, the wise men, the sheep, cattle, barn mice and lowing cows as we gather around and sing about this O. HOLY. Night. when a  baby was born Away in a Manger.

Merry Christmas, reader! Enjoy this video of the Pentatonix song I mentioned above, "Mary Did You Know?"

If you'd like to listen to how Christmas music can be sung around the world, you can listen to my YouTube playlist I put together real quick right HERE. It's a compilation of secular artists, Christian artists, choirs, and people I've never heard of singing the songs we're familiar with (and some we're not) all around the world.