The Innkeeper's Daughter

 

Once upon time, more than two thousand years ago, there lived a little girl named Sarah and she lived in a town called Bethlehem.  Her father owned a very popular Inn and had many patrons. Sarah had two brothers, Joshua and Matthew, they were a few years older than she.

 

Her mother and father were kindly people, trying their best to raise their family within their means.  Sarah, even at her young age, worked a full day helping in the inn. She would sweep the floors, empty and wash out jugs for her mother.  Her mother was a wonderful cook and was teaching her daughter her skills.  The boys, after their Hebrew lessons, helped with the horses cleaning the stables, currying the horses and feeding them.  All in all, it was a busy life.

 

Sarah liked meeting all the different types of people who visited Bethlehem, she seemed to learn a little bit from each person she spoke to. She was a rare child who felt empathy with people less fortunate than herself and because of her kindly heart she was well loved by the townsfolk.

 

Her mother and father called a meeting for all their workers to announce that the Roman's had ordered a census of the population. That all people had to return to the city of their birth to register before the end of December. Their parents explained that the town's population would grow very large over the next few weeks. That being said, they were also told that there would be a lot more work to do because they knew their inn would be overflowing with guests.

 

Soon, people from all walks of life were pouring into Bethlehem filling all vacant rooms. Their Inn was so busy that they barely had time to sleep, due to waiting on so many people.

 

Sarah had a strange dream during this time, she was in a field staring up at the sky and she saw this most beautiful star. It seemed to shine as though a million candles were shimmering from it. As she watched this star it's light formed a beacon shinning down on her little town of Bethlehem. She wondered why the light was happening over the city.  When she awoke she felt very happy, she didn't know why but she felt something great was going to happen.

 

One cold and chilly night towards the end of December, Sarah was outside the Inn helping her brothers fill the stalls of the stable with clean hay. She saw a man walking towards the Inn leading a donkey who was carrying a woman who was very heavy with child.  Sarah knew they would stop and ask for a room..but there were no rooms at the Inn. A little voice inside her head told Sarah that she must help these two people, that it was very important.  Sarah ran to find her father.

 

She found him in the kitchen helping her mother lift a very heavy kettle. 

"Oh, Father..there is a man outside whom needs a room can we please help him?" she asked.

 

"Now, Sarah, you know we haven't any more rooms to let. He is going to have to go someplace else, I can't make a room appear." her father gently said.

 

"But, you don't understand Father, this is important. We have to help them, we just have to."she stated.

 

Sarah's father was used to her kind hearted requests but this time it seemed different. He decided he had best go see what had his daughter so excited.

 

He found the man in conversation with one of his sons, who was explaining that there was no room at the inn.

Sarah's father studied the man and his wife and as he did a feeling of calm overcame him and he heard an inner voice telling him to make these two welcome somehow.  But how? His own family was sleeping in shifts in the kitchen because they gave up their rooms to other guests.

 

Sarah had followed him outside and came up to her Father and very gently said...

 

"Father, the stables are warm, clean and at least they would have a roof over their heads."

 

So the young couple were led into the stable and made as comfortable as possible. Sarah's father sent Joshua into the inn to get extra bedding for the couple, so that they would be warm.   Strangely Sarah noticed that all the animals were very quiet almost peaceful.

 

So it came to pass that in that small lowly place a great miracle of birth took place, and Jesus was born.

A great many important people, Kings and all came to pay their respect to the new born babe.

 

Sarah was amazed at the way the babe and his family gave off a special glow and thought back on her dream of the bright star...as she looked up she realized that the star was shinning directly over the stables and she realized just how special this night was oh so long ago.