An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas

An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas

An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas is a collection of short stories I wrote for my daughter for Christmas. I wrote it as a way to share the story of Christmas and make it more alive for her without changing the story. I wrote them as an advent collection intending them to be read one each day during the month of December leading up to Christmas.

Each story is the account of the events leading to the birth of Christ as told by someone we either know was there, because they are mentioned in the Biblical account or someone we can guess was there.

Last year I decided to self e-publish my book.
It is available at the following bookseller websites:
iTunes Store, Barns And Nobel, Sony Kobo, Disel, Page Foundry and Baker-Taylor's Bilo.
It is also available at Smashwords.com for ALL ereaders and even as a downloadable PDF for the computer.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784 

Here is the story of Joshua the Innkeeper. The Bible says an innkeeper allowed Mary and Joseph to stay in the stable of his inn. It does not give account of what was said or how he felt about ‘another knock at the door.’ Here is what I think may have happened at the inn during the first Christmas.

JOSHUA THE INNKEEPER

Another knock at the door! That’s how it all started. Another knock. As I answered the door I wondered when people would start reading the sign! It was a clear sign it said, “NO ROOM!” They came with all the other people because of that stupid decree. He looked nervous and unsure yet determined. She was thoughtful and quiet. I was about to send them on their way when I noticed that she was going to have a baby! I looked at my wife and little ones and knew that I could not send them out into the street. Where would they stay? No room in the inn. No extra beds. My family was sharing rooms and beds already to accommodate all the extra people!

I asked them to eat dinner with us. It was the least I could do. While we were eating I thought about their little donkey. He was such a gentle little beast. I could take care of the donkey for them at least! I had some room left in the stable. Suddenly it hit me! If they would not mind, they could stay with the donkey in the stable! It was clean and warm at least!

Everything was quiet for a few days. My wife made friends with the young girl and took to mothering her. She would go and check in on her as often as she could. This was the girl’s first child and she was unsure what was going to happen and what to do.

The young man, Joseph, helped around the inn. He fixed all the little things I had been wanting to fix for a long time. He had good hands, strong sure, and gentle. He also made things for his baby and toys for my children. He did anything to keep busy!

It was a moonless night. A single star shown bright, seemingly right over our little stable! I will never forget how bright it was. It made the night sky look like there was a full moon. It woke the entire inn with its light! Joseph came and knocked on our door. Would my wife help his give birth? My wife went with him to see what she could do to help. I expected her to be gone for sometime but a short time later she returned saying they had a boy and they were going to name Him Jesus. She said it was an answer to prayer the way He was born and what a good boy He seemed to be.

This is when it all started to get strange. People started showing up at our stable at all times of the day and night just to see the boy! First it was those shepherds with all those dirty sheep. They told some story about angels telling them to come and see the baby. After seeing the baby they went all over spreading that wild tale! That brought all the other people to my stable to see the child!

They stayed in our stable for a time and we got to watch the baby grow some. They found a place of their own and moved. I just saw them around town after that. Rachel my daughter would watch Jesus for them from time to time, and my wife would go visit Mary when she could.

Funny, come to think of it the star that showed up on the night of the child’s birth seemed to move over the house where they moved too. The night they left town was the last time I saw the star. Hadn’t thought of that before!

©Copyrighted Material By Carolyn Hoagland 1995