I’ll never forget that night it began.
A night that I will always remember.
We were all settled down and the sheep were asleep,
While others watched I was beginning to slumber.
We had seen so many people coming to Bethlehem,
This census was driving us crazy.
The lines were long, and tempers were short.
All the commotion was really amazing!

Now it was night and stars were bright.
All the bustle has ceased for the moment.
I rolled out my blanket, stretched out by the fire,
And readied to catch a few winks.
I thought about stories I had heard through the years.
Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How God would provide, and lead and guide,
And give victory over foe and fears.

It started with nothing more than a breeze.
A blowing that wasn’t the same.
Then it grew louder, and then it was brighter.
The sky was now all aflame!
I was fearful and wondered what it could be
That would make this strange thing occur
Was it storming? Was I dying?
It now all became a blur!

With a shout and scream, and a blast of a horn,
An army now came into sight.
This was an army like I’d never seen!
Their appearance gave me a fright.
Their number was huge, all over the sky,
They looked like they’d just come from battle.
They yelled, and sang, and shouted out praise,
I admit, I was quite rattled.

These angels were giving glory to Yaweh,
The God of heaven and earth.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The forefathers of my nation of birth.
They said not to fear, and not run away,
For the news they were bringing
Would give us great joy
Soon we would be singing!
A messiah was promised,
This we all knew.
Our nation had waited so long.
He would bring hope
And joy to our people
And make right all that was wrong

They sang of peace, and goodwill to all
A Savior they said had been born.
A stable was the place of his birth.
Out of the way and very forlorn.
He was to be found in a simple manger
With animals in His presence
No riches or gowns or presents of splendor for
This king who would make such a difference.

Then they were gone and silence returned.
We were left in amazement and wonder.
We looked at each other and looked to the sky
This message we now had to ponder.
We decided to go and see for ourselves
This thing that we had been told
Could it be? Was it all true?
This promised messiah of old?

So we ran and raced to the little town
Where so many had come to reside
And we found the place the angels had said
We paused and we stepped inside.
We came to the place where the baby laid
And to our knees did we fall
And gave Him our worship, and adoration
We knelt there in wonder and awe.

How long we stayed I don’t really know
For time was forgotten that night
We returned to the fields, laughing and shouting
Telling everyone of the glad sight
Of a baby that came to bring hope to the lost
Of Messiah who came to bring peace
We did not know that price to be paid
Would come in the form of a cross.