The Night Watch

 Luke 1:8 ~ "And it came to pass in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night."
      He loved the night shift; the silence, the feeling of being a protector- even if it was just of sheep. He loved the stillness. Maybe a shepherd felt this way on his way to guard the sheep- to keep watch so very long ago.
Shift workers have a different rhythm to their life. They are  up when others sleep, they sleep when others have been up and working for hours. Their social life is different, they work when others have time to visit. They become invisible, non-entities in a world of business and activity. These shepherds were faithfully working the  night shift. Maybe their ears were attuned to the night sounds, straining for any sound out of the ordinary, listening to the sheep  and to what was beyond the sheep. Maybe their eyes were looking at the shadows beyond the flocks. And maybe they were talking about how  many strangers there were in town, how busy their quiet village had become. They were at work, invisible to most  of  Bethlehem.
    Then their night was interrupted. Lk. 1:9~ "And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly afraid."
      This was not expected, this was not something to fight, this was a right reaction to a messenger from God. No question in their minds that this was real and not a dream!
Lk. 1:10-11 ~ "And the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
      These shepherds were reassured, and given the biggest news story ever. The Messiah had come! The Christ was here- born in Bethlehem! A Savior- finally! Maybe they didn't grasp the fullness of what it meant, but they grasped enough! God had come to the invisible, the shift workers, the one who missed out on everything, and told them first!  Why? Maybe because they were up and doing their job, maybe because He was the Shepherd of Israel, maybe because they had learned humility, maybe simply because they were keeping watch; listening and watching, so they saw and heard.
Lk 1:12-14~ " 'And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'"
   When the miraculous was over, these men would need to know if this was indeed true; how could they prove it?  So they were given a sign, something concrete to check out, a proof that would be there after the glory of the moment faded.
Lk.1: 15-17 ~"And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, 'Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened that the Lord has made known to us.' And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child."
      These shepherds understood priorities. Leave the sheep unguarded, something greater than sheep was happening! They acted immediately, this was not a 'sit down and lets think about this time', this was a 'let's check it out  time'! And they did! This was for all the people- they told everyone.
    Lord, in our work, whether the night shift or day, may we watch and listen for You. When you show Yourself to us, may we see You. It probably won't be an angel or a chorus of angels, but it may be a baby, or another person that You use to touch us, to help us to really see You in the midst. And then, when we see You, may we share You with all the people~ so they too would rejoice in the Savior, Christ the Lord.