Dear fellow traveler,

Today we unwrapped some gifts still waiting for us at our Christmas table. A kindred soul had left this beautiful children’s book at our door. So I snuggled with our little one reading it to her before nap time. And as it often is, and as we have so often written about, Christmas often happens at unexpected places, for instance reading a Children’s book on the 11th day of Christmas :-)

So let me offer it also to you, as our today’s Christmas gift. The story suits well with yesterday’s invitation to reimagine the Christmas story by stepping inside. We then find the Divine birth right where we are. Not spectacular probably, not particularly romantic either, but as a quiet movement of heart.

So here it is. “es begab sich aber…” (Once upon a time), a christmas story for today by Hans Christian Schmidt and Andreas Német*. It plays in a German city, but it could also play in El Paso or Ukraine.

Can you perhaps find your own words or read it to a little one, or to your inner child?

There was a young couple arriving in a town around Christmas time.

She was very tired after her long walk, and was longing for a safe place to rest. But they could not find one.

Finally some one pointed them to an old garage with an even older mattress and some straw.

The young woman was grateful to find a shelter as her baby was just on the way.

And so she birthed her first child, just there, and with just the help of her beloved, and wrapped him in a blanket.

Suddenly some curious visitors stopped by, a police woman and a girl with her pets, even her dad peeked in.

And as fast as starlight, the good news got around. More and more people arrived. The story of the little baby in the garage spread and people came to see it with their own eyes. They brought gifts and music and their hearts.

All of a sudden, people mingled who hand not mingled before, lights lit the night, and the smell of street food and warm wine warmed their hearts. How could it be that a little baby child brought them all together?

***

And may Christmas find you where you are today and always, Almut with Chuck and little one

*photographed from: Hans Christian Schmidt & Andreas Német: Es begab sich aber…, Klett 2022. (link), retold by AF :-)