Do You See What I See?

Matthew 2:2   They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

I have a friend who has long said that you could tell how much snow was going to fall for a predicted event by the number of hawks you see in the 12 hours prior to the storm.  The more hawks, the more snow.  His theory has proven out as long as I can remember him talking about it.  This isn’t the only proven theory of animals sensing an upcoming “event”.  There are dogs that can sense a seizure coming on in its owner, or cats that predict earthquakes.  I can generally figure out the intensity of a storm by the reaction of cows in a field and/or birds in a tree.

I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination, an animal behaviorist, but it’s clear that an animal (both wild and domesticated) can sense much more than most of us.  Think about when you’ve gone to visit a neighbor and their dog is going crazy, or the reaction of your dog when you come home after work.  Now imagine the excitement if it could sense that the Creator was about to return – can you imagine the buzz in the air? Can you imagine the little lamb, heart racing, probably breathing quickly.  It couldn’t stand still and then to see a star high in the sky with a huge tail announcing the birth of the King.

In these days leading up to the birth, be open to all that’s going on around.  There is evidence of God and His love all around, signs of His great gift and unselfish grace surrounding us every day. “Father, open my mind and every sense You’ve given me so that I might see and rejoice at Jesus’ birth.  Amen”