{"id":2689,"date":"2016-12-20T08:00:50","date_gmt":"2016-12-20T08:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=2689"},"modified":"2016-12-20T14:06:47","modified_gmt":"2016-12-20T14:06:47","slug":"night-animals-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2016\/12\/20\/night-animals-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"The Night the Animals Talk"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Christmas story to read with the entire family:<\/h2>\n

Click Here for the Audio Version<\/a><\/h3>\n

Sometime later tonight, sometime after midnight when the anticipation of Christmas Eve turns into the early moments of fulfilled prophecy at Jesus\u2019 birth, it will happen. \u00a0<\/strong>But it will not happen until all the boys and girls and all the dads and moms have gone to sleep.\u00a0 Then it will happen; tonight, it will happen.<\/p>\n

The birds, sleeping nestled in the trees, will notice it first.\u00a0 They will begin to chirp and sing and fly in dancing circles in the sky.\u00a0 Then the horses, cows, pigs, sheep, deer, donkeys, rabbits, elephants, lions, lambs, impalas, wart hogs, tigers, wildebeest, squirrels, and all the other creatures of the earth will awaken and see it.\u00a0 Then dogs and cats inside houses will notice it and stir.\u00a0 Some will awaken their owners who will let them out thinking they need to — well, just go outside, and the owners will go back to sleep.\u00a0 Other dogs and cats will jump on a sofa and look out the window.
\n\"page-art-1\"\u00a0 What will they see?\u00a0 They will see an animal Christmas.\u00a0 They will see the Spirit of Christmas, God\u2019s love, flowing across the earth, filling the sky with sounds and sights that humans are usually too busy and sometimes too unbelieving too hear and see.\u00a0 The sounds and sights will call the animals together where they will talk.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to happen here, tonight, on Taylor Street, and other places where dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, deer, and other animals gather.\u00a0 This is the one night of the year when the animals talk.<\/p>\n

A long time ago, animals talked all the time. Back then, it was not strange for animals to talk back.\u00a0 But one day, one of the animals, a snake, talked too much. The snake talked about things he should not have talked about. In fact, he let a really bad creature talk through him.\u00a0 It really messed up things; that what\u2019s too much talking can do: really mess up things.<\/p>\n

Since then not too many animals have talked.\u00a0 One time God did use a donkey to talk to a man.\u00a0 That\u2019s was an important conversation; that man, who thought he was so smart and so important, had something he had learn from God.\u00a0 Well, God taught him through a donkey. It seems that donkeys . . . let\u2019s hold that thought; we\u2019re getting ahead of the story.<\/p>\n

Tonight the animals will get together and talk to one another.\u00a0 It will be more than tails wagging and the sounds of dogs barking, cats meowing, birds chirping, and cows bellowing.\u00a0 It will be animal words that speak of one thing: God\u2019s love for His creation and His plans to save it. Later tonight, up and down my street and wherever you live, the animals will talk about what they did when Jesus was born.<\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re wondering how I know this.\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m really close to Jack and Jill, the two animals who live here (and their cat friend James, who used to live here). On Christmas Eve they saw me wrapping presents for my wife and children, and to my surprise, Jack said, \u201cYou\u2019re getting ready for Christmas, aren\u2019t you?\u201d When Jack saw how amazed I was, he spoke to calm me, \u201cIt\u2019s all right, you can talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the shock of hearing Jack speak, I replied, \u201cYes, I am.\u00a0 But how do you know, and how can you talk to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack said, \u201cIt\u2019s a secret between God and the animals and I can\u2019t tell you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause humans are not supposed to know this.\u00a0 You will only mess it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me more,\u201d I begged.\u00a0 Jack refused.\u00a0 He can be stubborn like that.\u00a0 I decided to try a very human thing; bribe Jack and Jill with dog cookies.\u00a0 Jack took the cookies, but refused to tell me.\u00a0 He then made a mistake; he left the room with me and Jill; she was another dog altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cJill, tell me about this and I\u2019ll give you another cookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

She bit.\u00a0 By the time Jack came back in the room, it was too late.\u00a0 She had already told me enough so that Jack had to fill in the rest of the story.\u00a0 I promised not to tell anyone else except the children. Jack said they only talked to me because they knew no one would believe me if I talked about it.\u00a0 How they could talk at any other time besides early Christmas morning I still do not understand. But then, they are unusual dogs!<\/p>\n

This is what they told me.<\/p>\n

Once a year, early, early on Christmas morning, long before the sun even thinks about peeking over the horizon, God\u2019s Spirit swings through the sky, calling all the animals to remember their Creator.\u00a0 On this one night all the animals talk the way they used to talk.\u00a0 And they tell this one story.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about a donkey.\u00a0 This donkey is special.\u00a0 This donkey is the one who carried Mary to Bethlehem.\u00a0 Joseph, Mary\u2019s husband, who was a carpenter in the town of Nazareth, had made a small, but beautiful, piece of furniture for a Roman soldier.\u00a0 He was an important soldier in charge of many other soldiers.\u00a0 Sometimes the soldiers would not pay Jewish men who did work for them.\u00a0 But this soldier was so impressed by the tiny carvings of pomegranates, apples, and grapevines that he told Joseph he could have anything he wanted, within reason.\"page-art-2\"<\/p>\n

Joseph said, \u201cAs you know, I must leave in two weeks for Bethlehem so I can get there in time to register for the Emperor\u2019s census tax.\u00a0 My wife will soon have her Baby, a very special child.\u00a0 Could I select one of your horses so she could ride on this journey?\u00a0 I promise to give the horse to the Roman garrison near Bethlehem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soldier was agreeable; he knew Joseph was an honest and righteous man.\u00a0 He took Joseph to the military stables and they looked at the horses.\u00a0 The problem was that all the horses were too strong.\u00a0 They were trained to run hard, not walk slowly.\u00a0 They wanted sound, action, important people and events so they could show other horses how strong they were.\u00a0 Joseph tried to walk one of them, but it reared up and almost hit him and the soldier.\u00a0 Both men agreed that this would not work.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps you could manage a chariot where these horses are more accustomed to being controlled,\u201d said the soldier.<\/p>\n

But Joseph said no.\u00a0 He had never driven a chariot and was afraid that a two horse power wreck might really hurt or even kill Mary or the Baby.<\/p>\n

Walking out the stables, Joseph saw an old donkey in the corner of the yard. \u201cWhat about that donkey?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want that old animal.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even sure it would make it to Bethlehem.\u00a0 Besides, I want you to have the best I can give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very kind, and I do not mean to be ungrateful, but all I really need is an animal I can manage.\u00a0 I\u2019m not royalty, and I have no reason to try and impress other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d the soldier said, \u201cif you promise not to tell anyone you got this old donkey from a Roman garrison, you can have it.\u00a0 We were going to destroy it soon anyway, so just keep it and don\u2019t worry about turning it in to the Bethlehem garrison.\u201d\u00a0 The old, weary donkey obediently followed the slight pull of the rope as Joseph led him to their home.<\/p>\n

The time soon came for Joseph and Mary to begin the journey.\u00a0 Joseph had fed the donkey and taken time to groom it.\u00a0 In fact, both he and Mary were surprised at how much better the donkey looked.\u00a0 In only two weeks of loving care the donkey was much stronger.\u00a0 Over the next weeks they traveled, and while riding a donkey is not the most comfortable ride, it kept Mary off her feet and made these final days of her pregnancy a little easier.<\/p>\n

The night they arrived in Bethlehem, Joseph went door to door looking for a place for them to stay.\u00a0 Mary could feel that the Baby would soon be born; much sooner than she imaged, in fact.\u00a0 Riding the donkey had actually shifted the Baby so that He would be born more quickly and easier than she had thought.\u00a0 At times while Joseph was trying to find a room, stray dogs would bark at the donkey and Mary, but the donkey would bray back to them, and the dogs would stop and run away.<\/p>\n

There was no room among the ancient family lines of Joseph in Bethlehem. There were just too many people arriving at the same time. At the last place in town, the innkeeper told Joseph there was no more room at his place or any place that he knew in Bethlehem.\u00a0 Leading Joseph to the door, he saw Mary atop the donkey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a room for you, but seeing your donkey reminds me that there might be room in the stable in the back.\u00a0 It\u2019s a small cave area just this side of the shepherds\u2019 fields.\u00a0 It is part of the house but you\u2019ll have some privacy. If you don\u2019t mind sleeping with the animals, you can at least get out the night air.\u00a0 Roll up some of that hay for your wife. I\u2019ll send some food to you.\u201d\"page-art-3\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how Mary and Joseph ended up sleeping in the stable.\u00a0 And that\u2019s how Jesus was born in a manger, a small crib that held the straw that animals ate.<\/p>\n

Many exciting things happened that night: the shepherds visited and worshipped the newborn King Jesus and angels filled the night sky with praise to God.\u00a0 Later that night after the shepherds had left, Joseph prepared a nice place for Mary to sleep while nursing the Baby.\u00a0 Joseph soon fell asleep, and Mary did too.\u00a0 She held Jesus near her heart, and for awhile He was asleep.<\/p>\n

Sometime while Joseph and Mary were asleep, the Baby Jesus woke up and saw the donkey.\u00a0 His eyes and the eyes of the donkey spoke to one another.\u00a0 The Baby Jesus even cooed like a new baby, and the donkey understood what He was saying.\u00a0 The donkey started to bray softly and to his amazement, he was speaking like a human.\u00a0 The other animals in the stable — the sheep, the dog, the cat, and the cow \u2013 all started talking very softly.\u00a0 It was the way animals had talked a long time ago.\u00a0 They talked, Jesus cooed, and they all understood one another.<\/p>\n

The infant Jesus told the sheep He would take their place and be the sacrifice for every person on the earth.\u00a0 He told the donkey to take care of himself because they were going to need him again for a journey to Egypt before too many months.\u00a0 He told all the other animals His birth meant that all that was lost when the snake talked too much would be regained through Him.\u00a0 He told them that the day would come when all the creation, including the animals, would be restored to God\u2019s original purpose.\u00a0 The animals were filled with joy and praised God.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I can\u2019t wait until tomorrow,\u201d said the horse, \u201cto tell everyone what Jesus is going to do for them and us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said the cow, the dog, the cat, and the other animals. \u201cThis is wonderful news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooing, Jesus told them, \u201cNot yet.\u00a0 You will not be able to talk like this again, even in the next few minutes.\u00a0 But once a year, if you will listen carefully, you will hear and then see the glory of my love in the sky.\u00a0 Then, for a short time, you will talk to one another.\u00a0 People will have to discover my love in a different way.\u00a0 They will hear and see from one another — not from you.\u00a0 But on that night, all around the world, tell one another that I am coming again to finish what was started here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so it is. Tonight, the animals will again talk and tell the young animals what the sound and sight in the sky means.\u00a0 In the meantime, we can tell others, and remind one another, Jesus is coming back to finish what He started that night.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CLICK TO PRINT YOUR OWN COPY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Author<\/p>\n

\"dr-beacham-headshot\"Dr. Doug Beacham is the presiding bishop of the IPHC. He has served in various roles in the church including Georgia Conference Superintendent, executive director of Church Education Ministries, and executive director of World Missions Ministries. You can follow Bishop Beacham on Facebook or Twitter @DougBeacham.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,20,4,27,26,305,3],"tags":[538,539,540,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-2689","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boys-ministries","8":"category-childrens-ministries","9":"category-discipleship-ministries","10":"category-girls-ministries-childrens-ministries","11":"category-royal-rangers","12":"category-student-ministires","13":"category-youth-ministries","14":"tag-christmas-story","15":"tag-dr-beacham","16":"tag-general-superintendent","17":"tag-kid-min","18":"entry"},"title_es":"La noche la charla Animales","content_es":"","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/Email-Banner.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-Hn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}