The Knock

Luke 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. The story is a familiar one, even if the details of it can be hard to grasp. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable because there wasn't any room for her family at the inn... or any of the inns... in Bethlehem or Nazareth the night God chose as His Son's birthday. And while we typically relate to Mary's plight, I think more often, we're like the innkeeper. Did the innkeeper even realize as he turned away a heavily pregnant woman and her tired husband that he was turning away the parents of the Prince of Peace? Could he have known that by putting out the No Vacancy sign, he was eliminating himself from witnessing the birth of the Savior? Did he know as he locked the door, that he was missing out on a miracle? It makes me wonder as we're just days away from Christmas, how many times I close the door on a miracle because my days feel too full. I wonder if I miss the thing that I'm praying for because it doesn't feel like I have any more room to welcome inconvenience. What miracles is God performing right in my own backyard that He wants to be doing inside of me? This week, I urge you to keep your ears open for The Knock. Listen carefully for the guests that are asking to take up residence inside of you. You never know when God is asking you to be the innkeeper for His next great promise.