In the past I have focused on some false financial ideas surrounding Christmas. Today, I want to consider a true, but often overlooked, component of the season.

Imagine for a moment that you are one of the shepherds “watching and keeping the night watches over their flock.” And imagine further that “an angel” appears while you are surrounded by the “brightness of God” causing you to begin to “fear with a great fear.”

Then you are given a most curious message: “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For this day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.”

So what do you do? You are working. It is cold. It is late. There is a distance to travel. And to see what? A baby…wrapped in swaddling clothes…in a stable?

Okay, those angels, the light and all that singing was impressive, but would you, even as an Israelite expecting a savior, do what the shepherds, in fact, did: “And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning the child.”

Truly, these shepherds show us the miracle of faith. Believing a message from heaven, they are given the greatest Gift of all time here on earth! Leaving their mundane, but real cares, they are given the highest of heavenly rewards.

In one sense, the shepherds should be a model for every human being. In one sense, they should be our heroes. Believing, they received! And so shall we if we follow their example.

Merry Christmas and God bless you!