Follow that Shepherd by Anusha Atukorala

I've been re-reading the Christmas narrative and studying it over the last few weeks. What a compelling story! Can you imagine the thrill in the heavenly realms as God and the angels prepared for the birth of the Son of God? Picture the stage being set. Lights out. A flickering lamp in a stable. The innkeeper’s wife scurries around with hot water and swaddling clothes. Joseph paces outside, along the cobbled path, his heart pounding. A donkey brays, loud and harsh in the still night air. Stars come out one by one; winds murmur in the trees. Mary writhes in agony, sweat pouring down her sweet face. And then … and then … we hear a wail, a baby’s cry. In an instant, God has entered our world.

Joseph gently wipes the sweat off Mary’s face. She smiles at him, then gazes at her infant, mesmerised. He is the most beautiful baby in the world. His name is Jesus. A short distance away, shepherds are keeping watch over their sheep. A bright light dazzles. Abel jumps out of his skin … almost. Noah’s mouth opens wide but no sound comes out. Adam’s hand clutches his long beard. He is staring wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before them. Angels—a mighty host of of them are singing in the heavenly realms. The shepherds move back in fear. But an angel speaks. “Don’t be afraid.” His voice is clear, low, melodious. “For I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people. Unto you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord”.

Wouldn’t you like to have been there?

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an Elton John concert. It was a fabulous night and the music was full, rich and intoxicating. But an hour before the event, as we stood outside, waiting for the doors of the Entertainment Centre to be opened, three people ranted at us, placards in hand, belting out a gospel message. But oh! It annoyed me immensely and made my blood boil. I wanted to march up to them and ask them to shut up. I prayed for the listeners that they would find God in spite of what was being shared. It shocked me that Christians could sound as they did. A good message but mouthed in the worst possible manner. Enough to put a saint off!

As a writer, I too need to be careful about how I come across to my readers. Those defenders of the gospel drew people away from God rather than towards Him. Did they glorify God? Hardly. When I read Luke’s gospel last week, I found some helpful pointers for my writing journey (chapter 2:15-20) from what happened that Christmas night.

1. The shepherds were faithful to their calling, doing what they should be doing, so the angels knew where to locate them. What about me? Am I doing today what He asked of me? Am I in the right place so I can be found by Him?
2. They listened to the Angels’ message. Am I hearing God about my writing?
3. They obeyed. They took the angel’s word seriously. Have I obeyed Him this year in my writing journey? What about the year ahead? What does he require of me?
4. They spread the word. I found it interesting that the angels didn’t ask them to share the good news. All they were told to do was to go and find baby Jesus, the Saviour of the world. But when they did, they couldn’t stop themselves from sharing. It was an overflow of the joy of meeting Jesus. Have I met with Jesus lately? Am I consumed with the desire to use my writing and my life to share God’s truth in the genre He’s called me to write?
5. All who heard the shepherds were amazed. Have people been smitten by God through my writing? Have they discovered who He is because of what I write?
6. The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Is praise a big part of my life? Do I glorify God through my life and through my writing?
7. And then there was Mary. She pondered over all she heard and treasured it in her heart. How much do I ponder over the God’s truths? Do I treasure it? How often do I marvel over the Good News? Does it change my life?

The shepherds were unschooled men. But that didn’t prevent them sharing the Good News far and wide. We read in Luke’s gospel that they discovered the stable scene just as it was told them. And that is our starting point too. The faithfulness of God. He who calls us can be wholly trusted. This Christmas let’s follow the shepherds in how they responded to God’s call. And don’t forget we have a Good Shepherd who has laid down his life for us. Let us follow Him. He came that the world may be drawn back to God.

Warmest greetings to you all for a very Blessed Christmas!

Anusha Atukorala has two places she calls home, the beautiful island of Sri Lanka, and this very special land Down Under. She loves writing in any form, be it creative writing, composing songs and poetry, or simply emailing family and friends. She also enjoys reading, walking, singing, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, making friends and sharing the love of Jesus. Her first book, 'Enjoying the Journey' is a collection of 75 little stories of God's reality in every day life. Do drop in at her website to say G’day. She’ll be very happy to see you. Dancing in the Rain

For the love of letters.

Those of you who know me, or who have been following the random comments that make up my Penny Drops, will know I am a sucker for snail mail. I love the postman, anticipate the parcel lady’s arrival and drool over note-cards and paper sets in my favourite store. I’ve even found a blog/store called the Letter Writers’ Alliance and am wondering if Australia Post would be able to handle their Pigeon Post option. I love it!

But seriously, letter writing – that ancient art of pen and paper in a literal envelope, decorated by a stamp and carried by a number of vehicles over a period of days or weeks to its destination – is the very essence of what it means to write. Writers write to be read; one person to another. And this is exactly what letter writing is: raw, relationship driven communication.

Some people may draft their letters to friends. I don’t. And here is an interesting fact I learned recently: a letter’s copyright belongs not to the writer but the recipient. This highlights the trust implicit in letter writing, a trust not so present in the world of social media.

Despite the many relational opportunities offered by email, facebook, twitter or texting, there is something about the act of writing by hand that makes a letter more of a gift than plain communication. Perhaps it is the slowness of it for those accustomed to high speed typing, or the thoughtful recipient driven approach to word formation. When I write a letter, the person I am writing to is in my thoughts from the moment I write (okay, scrawl) Dear... to the time I drop the letter in the post box and count the days till the letter may be received. Perhaps I approach the process slightly religiously, but this is the luxury of friendship at snail mail pace.

And it’s this same thought and time that allows the letter to be a powerful tool for approaching politicians. Emails just don’t carry the weight that a physical letter does. One initiative our family has been involved with is the Micah Challenge Offering of Letters. It is a beautiful thing to read the letters written by my children asking their nation's leaders to make decisions considering the poor.

Historically speaking, the letter has always been used to carry important messages. The majority of the Bible’s New Testament was written as a letter. Its personal form is perfectly suited to carrying the enormous, life changing news about Jesus as seen and experienced in the writers’ lives. I’ll admit my letters are not divinely inspired as those in the Bible are, but they do give me the opportunity to share my faith and encourage those I love.

Letter writing also reminds me (as one who considers herself a writer by vocation) that I don’t just write for myself, for publication, for approval, for blog comments or facebook likes. I can and will put pen to paper just for one person.

And, if I ever needed more justification than that, I’ve always got a Jane Austen quote to back me up: “A person who can write a long letter with ease, cannot write ill” (Jane Austen via Miss Bingley in pride and Prejudice. )

So, fellow writers, share a story about a letter that meant a lot to you. But here’s the catch; you are not allowed to comment until you write a piece of snail mail first. Happy letter writing!

Penny Reeve is a children’s author currently living with her family in Western Sydney. This week she hopes to weed the front garden, read something other than the big truck book to her toddler and write a decent letter to an overseas friend!