A Shepherd's Sister Remembers

This is a monolog that I have written and performed at my church. It is original with me. You have my permission to use it free of charge at your own church, if you wish. I only ask that you give me credit for the original script. It was written to be performed by a women 40 + years old. It takes about 6 1/2 minutes to perform.

Life goes by so quickly. Here I am now--a grandmother. But still, it seems like just a few days ago when my brother, Josiah, came running into the house talking about the angels he and his friends had seen. Abba was so angry with Josiah for leaving the flock and coming into town. My father owned one of the flocks that was kept on the outskirts of town and used for the temple sacrifices. It was Josiah’s job to watch the flocks and protect them from the wild animals in the area. My usually calm father raised his voiced and shouted at Josiah. In this day of increased taxes, we could not afford to lose any sheep to wolves or lions while my brother was traipsing around town with his friends. But no, Josiah insisted that was not what he had done. Abba wouldn’t listen. He just stormed off to see about his precious sheep.
Later when all was quiet, Josiah told me about the angels and the baby. He said that he was with the other shepherds out on the hillside watching the sheep. Micah was softly playing his lyre to lull the sheep to sleep when suddenly a bright light appeared in the heaven. They looked up and there was a magnificent angel in the sky above them. They were so afraid. What would the angel do? Had they done something so terrible that Jehovah would send an angel to strike them all dead? Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Josiah looked at the others. Had they heard the same thing he had? Then suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Again, Josiah looked at his friends. Elkanah, who was the oldest of the shepherds there said “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
My brother followed Elkanah, Micah and the others and they went immediately and found the baby. He told me that it was just as the angel had told them. There was this tiny, newborn baby lying in the manger. As Josiah looked at Him, he could tell that this was a very special baby. I remember how excited my brother was that night knowing that he had seen the messiah.
Now, it’s been over 30 years. Not long ago, I was with a group on the hillside listening to his man from Galilee. They said his name is Jesus. He’s so inspiring. He speaks with such wisdom and authority. At the time, I thought surely this man was the same precious baby that my brother, Josiah, had seen, the messiah. But now…so much has happened. Our Jewish leaders have been so opposed to Him. They say He blasphemes, that He is just an ordinary man, not our messiah. And then there was that trial! Humph! Some trial. The witnesses are known liars. They’ll say anything for a few coins. But He was convicted. He was beaten and then forced to carry his cross up the hill. I stood in the crowd and watched as he fell from the weight of it. I know I should have done something but I was so afraid of the Roman guards. I just stood and watched as they crucified this innocent man.
What hope do we have now? The man who we thought would save us from the Romans is dead. The Pharisees and Sadducees have won with all their legalistic rules and laws. There’s no one… (speaker turns head to listen to someone off stage)
What? What are you saying? He lives? How is that possible? I saw him die? (listens again) Yes, yes I know who Mary Magdalene is. She’s one of Jesus’ followers. Mary says Jesus is alive? (pause) He’s risen from the grave? (face slowly turns to joy) How is that possible? (pause) Hundreds have seen him and talked to Him? (softly) He lives. (louder) He lives. (Raise hands and shout) He lives!
Scripture from Luke 2:9-20 NKJ

Modern day Knights

The world has always needed knights in shining armor to rescue damsels in distress. I had a shrink tell me one time that women didn't need that but it didn't take me real long to figure out that he didn't know what he was talking about. No, a woman in the 21st century doesn't have to have a man to make her complete. God can handle that just fine without any extra help. A woman today can do whatever she sets her mind to do and God is the only One she needs to help her. It's just that no one person can know how to do everything so when things come up that she can't do herself, it's nice to be able to call on a knight to come to the rescue.

A knight is a person who you can call at any time and he will stop what he's doing so he can go help you. (Actually, a woman could be a knight too but for this piece, I'm using the male gender.) Another quality of a knight is that he doesn't expect anything in return except maybe a thank you. He doesn't expect anything because he already knows that God is going to provide for his every need anyway and it's his job just to try to follow God's lead. That lead sometimes takes him to knight status.

I'm fortunate to have one of those knights living in my house. I'm married to him. I know that my younger sister, Mary, and my dear friend, Marian, would both grant him knighthood if they had the power. Mary has been a widow for 20 or so years and has called for help from our local knight numerous times. She's brought old, beat up lawn mowers by the house for him to fix. She's called for his help when water pipes broke. She's had him repair her car when they wouldn't run and she's taken him along to help pick out newer cars when she had the money to buy them and even when she didn't have the money. My dear friend, Marian, know that when she can't get her car to start at the park or along the side of the road that she can call and David will be Johnny on the Spot to take care of things. They both know that because that's what he does. In his quiet time, he asks God to show him who He wants him to help. God always shows him and David always tries to follow God's lead.

In the years when I was still in the classroom, David would come to school to help a lot of second graders. He helped them load trailers with newspapers and magazines to be recycled. He helped them cart out pet food they had collected for animal shelters, and he build a reading loft for them to enjoy as they read. He never considered himself a teacher to them. He said that was my job. But he did teach them by the example of a man that he showed them when he came into our classroom to help.

My knight in shining armor has always been available to help when anyone needed help. He has helped many widows we know from church, women stranded in parking lots, young people who have needed a variety of types of help and even little kids who he has cleaned up after. If it was times of distress, he was available to help. If it was times when assistance was needed, he was available. He was never a knight to fight windmills and maybe not even dragons, but he has always been one to give help when and where needed, whether it involved his doing physical work or just providing emotional or financial support when needed.

Knights today don't have to kill dragons, fight off black knights, or swim moats. Knights today have to be available when help is needed just like they did when they ran around with King Arthur. They just don't wear suits of armor and shining helmets. Sometimes they wear coveralls or blue jeans but they still are available and searching for those who God shows them that need a little extra help.