Advent day 14: missed blessings

^{Luke 2:5-7}

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ 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 room was swinging with excitement. People were drinking wine like it was water, mostly out of frustration with the crowded inn. The inn keeper had never seen such mayhem. The governor didn't know what he was asking when he put out this census. It was a riot; a mess that could never amount to anything usable for the government.

For the first time in many years, the inn was completely booked. It looked as though the inns around him were also. There weren't many. Bethlehem was a small town used only for raising lambs to be sacrificed. Not many came through to stay.

He hardly heard the knock on the door. When he opened it he saw a very pregnant woman and a very tired looking man. Sleep deprived, and maybe starving as well, they asked if there was room for them. "No." He said. But something about these two struck a chord with him. He offered a stable that was more like a small alleyway where he kept his sheep and lambs, a few donkeys. He was embarrassed to even offer it, but a small tug on his heart assured him he did the right thing.

He went back to the inn, and tried to manage the crowd. Every so often he would wonder how the couple outside was surviving in the stable. He felt bad. He would check on them in the morning, if they were still there. They couldn't need too much assistance tonight, he thought...