{"id":19064,"date":"2021-12-08T17:16:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T00:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2021-hsfruit-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-12-08T17:28:13","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T00:28:13","slug":"2021-donkey","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2021-donkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Be Donkeys This Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: right;\">by Max Lucado<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19066 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-1-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Christmas bespeaks of nativity. And nativity gives occasion to nativity plays. Who knows who first came up with the idea of dramatizing the birth of Christ, but the first script has inspired innumerable others.<\/p>\n<p>Though each has its own unique wrinkle, they all have some common features: angels with chiffon wings, wise men and their gifts from afar. A weary innkeeper will turn Mary away. A wide-eyed Joseph will bunch the manger\u2019s hay. And Mary, weary and sweet will say, \u201cI think\u00a0<em>today<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19067 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-2-e1639009244818.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"288\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Beneath a suspended star a baby will be born, the angels will sing, the wise men will kneel and children of all ages will go home telling their parents that next year they want a part in the nativity play. Little boys want to be Joseph. Little girls want to be Mary. Some want to wear the angel wings or bear gifts from a distant land. A few might even offer to be the hard-hearted Herod or the hassled innkeeper.<\/p>\n<p>But no one, ever, as far as I know, volunteers to be the donkey. Which is odd, actually, for what greater honor could exist than to do what the donkey did? He carried Jesus. I know, Joseph is better looking and Mary is quite stunning. Wise men get the cool hats and angels have the hallelujahs. And the donkey? He just stands to the side and chews on hay.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19068 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"519\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-3.png 519w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-3-300x257.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 519px) 100vw, 519px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But look at him. Do you not see contentment in those big, brown eyes? A look of satisfaction on his face? He just delivered history\u2019s greatest gift! Before Santa had a sleigh or UPS had trucks, God had a donkey. Thanks, in no small part, to him, the choir can sing \u201cFor unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I know, I know. We\u2019d rather be Joseph, rugged and bearded. We\u2019d rather be Mary, faithful, beautiful, and immaculate.<\/p>\n<p>But somebody needs to be the donkey. I\u2019m thinking a donkey at Christmas is a good thing to be.<\/p>\n<p>The Christmas donkey did his work. He delivered Jesus so Jesus could be delivered.<\/p>\n<p>He plodded. He didn\u2019t gallop or giddy-up. He did what donkeys do. He steadily stepped in the direction the master directed.<\/p>\n<p>And, upon arrival, he stepped to the side. He demanded no recognition, expected no compensation. He isn\u2019t even mentioned in the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>He was happy to do his job and let Jesus have all the attention.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19069 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-5-e1639009586459.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"551\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the Christmas donkey? There is always a place in the nativity, God\u2019s nativity story, for the person who will plod along expecting no applause, bear up under the weight of the long haul, and carry the One who will carry us all.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s to the donkeys of the story. May your ride be faithful and your rest be fruitful. And we will do our best to follow your example.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19071 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-4.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmasplay-4-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":19071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"portfolio_entries":[35],"class_list":["post-19064","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_entries-english-writer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/19064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19064"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/19064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19065,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/19064\/revisions\/19065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19064"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio_entries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_entries?post=19064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}