This Christmas, our family gathered at church for morning worship and later sang beloved hymns together around the Christmas tree. One of my favorite hymns, Where Shepherds Lately Knelt, draws me right into the nativity scene:
“Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel’s word,
I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred;
But there is room and welcome there for me.
In that unlikely place I find Him as they said:
Sweet newborn Babe, how frail! And in a manger bed:
A still, small Voice to cry one day for me.
How should I not have known Isaiah would be there,
His prophecies fulfilled? With pounding heart I stare:
A Child, a Son, the Prince of Peace for me.
Can I, will I forget how Love was born and burned
Its way into my heart—unasked, unforced, unearned,
To die, to live, and not alone for me?.”
The wonder those shepherds must have felt intrigues me—the juxtaposition of an ordinary stable filled with hay, animals, and earthy smells, alongside the extraordinary reality of God’s presence.
As a modern-day shepherd, I still feel a connection to those quiet nights in Bethlehem. There’s something timeless in the work of caring for animals and watching over life as those have done for hundreds and thousands of years before me. Each sunrise over the pasture reminds me of God’s providence, every lamb a reflection of His care.
And like the shepherds long ago, I too feel joy in sharing this story. It’s a joy rooted in the knowledge that our Savior was born for each of us—bringing light, peace, and hope to our world.
May the wonder of Christ’s birth fill your heart this season and carry you into the New Year.
Blessings from our farm to your home,
Leah
Great Heritage Farm
