Can We Come In?

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:26-38).

My husband and I, along with two of our children and our oldest granddaughter (age 7) recently traveled eight hours – a four-hour drive each way ­– on a Sunday afternoon to watch our youngest daughter participate in the William Carey University music department’s Christmas program. It was a beautiful experience and worth the trip, even though we only visited with our daughter for about 30 minutes before she had to get ready for the evening performance.

As we prepared to start our return journey, we discussed what we wanted to eat and where – both the food provider and the town. The consensus was that we would stop in a town about 45 minutes down the road. We had gotten lunch at a chicken-and-burger place on our way to Hattiesburg, so we opted for Subway. Easy peasy! There were six locations on the digital map. I chose the first one, and we aimed our sights on supper.

I didn’t check the store hours, but it was only 5:30, so I figured we were good. As we neared the destination, I noticed that it really didn’t look like a place for restaurants – more like an industrial park. Nevertheless, as we turned and went under a bridge, there was the Subway located inside a convenience store. Very good! We walked in and saw a nice little seating area in the restaurant section. Then we heard the store cashier say, “I’m sorry. They’re closed!”

OK …

The four of us piled back into the van, and I checked the next location, which was listed as “Open.” It was only about 5 minutes away. Once again, though, when we were close, I thought it didn’t look like the usual place for restaurants. Sure enough, we “Arrived!” – at the town’s hospital.

Really?

We did not get out but pulled into the parking lot to regroup. I looked at the map again and saw that one store was inside Walmart. Nope!

I checked the next one on the list and saw that it was open, but I didn’t want another wild goose chase, so as even though I hate talking on the phone, I made the call.

“Subway … can I help you?” said a very friendly voice on the other end.

“Um … yes … um … I just want to know if I can come in and get a sandwich there. I mean, are you located inside of Walmart or a hospital? And will you be open when we get there in like, five minutes?”

“Ye-e-e-es …” she said, sounding somewhat confused.

“Oh good! I just need to know that we can come into your store and get a sandwich!”

“Oh, yes, ma’am! We are open, and you can definitely come in.” (I think I was close to tears of joy!)

Away we went, quite thankful to know that we were only moments away from our meal.

We arrived at another convenience store, but the Subway sign was lit up in the window. When we approached the counter, the young woman asked how she could help us, and I informed her that I was the one who had just called and asked if I could come in and get a sandwich. After I explained our ordeal, we laughed together.

Then she said, “Oh, the only thing is,” and she pointed behind her toward a sign on the small silver appliance on the counter, “our toaster oven is out of order, so you will either have to eat it cold or just heated in the microwave. I can’t toast it.”

No toaster? Well, we were not going to yet another location just for that.

“That’s fine,” I said.

Steve placed his order and went to the restroom while we finished. When he emerged, he had one of those looks on his face. He walked over and said, “That restroom is really bad! It stinks!” Now, my husband works on everything at our house, including plumbing problems. None of it bothers him. He will work on clogged drains or toilets, sewage lines, and other stinky, messy things without flinching, so when he says it’s bad … enough said!

Then he commented, “And there is no place to sit down and eat.” We had eaten our lunch during the drive down and had intended to sit down in an almost-civilized manner for our supper.

Upon consulting our sweet attendant, I found out there was a small seating area; we just could not see it because it was in the opposite corner of the store from the sandwich counter.

We gratefully received our orders, paid the ticket (including a tip for our gracious server), and took our food to the small dining area, where we relaxed for a few minutes and enjoyed our sandwiches.

As we passed through the next city about 30 minutes farther down the road, I looked out the window and saw a lovely stand-alone Subway off to the side – lights on, a regular dining area visible through the window, and the neon OPEN sign looking like a warm invitation for weary travelers to enter and be filled.

Hmmm …

I wonder if, on that first Christmas, Joseph and Mary might have felt a little like we did. We don’t get all the details from Scripture, but I can imagine something like what we experienced, although their circumstances were obviously much more dire than ours.

Can’t you see Joseph as he and Mary and the donkey enter Bethlehem? The first inn they see is nice enough, but when they enter, they discover a sign on the counter: “No vacancy” (probably in Aramaic). Someone across the room calls out, “We’re full!”

Back to the little donkey. The next establishment looks relatively large, but there is a sign on the door: “Closed due to illness.”

Next is another place that looks promising, but as they approach, Joseph looks in the door and sees that people are standing up around the room and there are pallets on the floor. He doesn’t even ask.

Mary begins to get more uncomfortable. Even though this is her first child, she knows the symptoms, and she tells Joseph they really need to find a place soon.

Just ahead is another inn, but as they approach, a man walks out with a sign: “No room.” He tacks it onto the door. Undeterred and desperate, Joseph speaks: “Please, sir … my wife is about to give birth. Is there no place we can stay?”

Without looking at them, the man says, “Read the sign. We’re full.”

Mary shifts on the donkey, and as she does so, maybe the Messiah kicks a little – just enough to cause her to gasp slightly. The innkeeper finally looks at her, and his face softens.

“Well,” he says, “I have a stable. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can offer you. But it is just around back, so you won’t have to go far.”

The smell was far from pleasant, but there was fresh straw. There was no bed or even a chair, but – again – there was fresh straw.

While it wasn’t ideal from a worldly view, it was just where God wanted them to be. Jesus came to be God in the flesh. He came to those who were not accepted in polite society. But He also came for those who are considered “the elites” by the world – those who would kneel before an infant in homage and deference. He came for people of every station and every nation. All He asks for is to come in. He won’t enter if he isn’t welcomed, and He won’t leave if He is.

When Jesus was born into human flesh, He needed a place to be born … to be allowed entry. Isn’t that what He is still seeking today? I pray that if you don’t know Him, you will invite Him into your life. You will find in Him all you have ever needed and so much more!

May you have a joyous and Christ-filled Christmas!