The Journey to Bethlehem is a story we have read and heard many times. It was a trip filled with struggles, disappointment, obstacles, loneliness, messiness, and fear! But the Journey to Bethlehem is ultimately a journey to hope, to healing, to joy, and to transformation.
His name was Joseph, and her name was Mary. They were poor and cold. They were alone and unknown. The couple trudged through Bethlehem looking for a warm place to stay. Finding an inn, they knocked on the door and asked:
“Sir, we are tired and alone, may we stay here tonight?”
Have you been in Mary and Joseph’s place? Have you been on the outside looking in? Have you known the terrible sense of aloneness that comes when the door to hope is closing?
“That is not possible,” the innkeeper replied, closing the door. The world can be a cold and frightening place. The children we care for know this feeling all too well.
As a young girl, she was locked out of the house, left to stand outside in the snow—hungry and alone. She did not understand why her mother chose not to protect her as the boyfriend pushed her out the door. In that moment, she knew fear and the bitterness of rejection. She felt the finality of the door closing, leaving her alone and feeling no one cared.
It is the feeling you get when drugs become more important than you. It is the feeling you get when your mom has left and isn’t coming back. It is the feeling you have when you are living with your three boys in a car with very little—not knowing where the next meal will come from. It is the feeling of hopelessness.
My faith tells me when one door closes, Jesus opens another. One that is in His will and perfect for the moment. That is evident in the Christmas story written by God so many years ago. The door was closed to the inn but opened to a stable. A stable where a precious baby was born—a baby who would change the world and our lives for eternity.
She came to us frightened. Her mother and her mom’s boyfriend were charged with multiple counts of abuse and neglect. She and her siblings were placed at Baptist Children’s Homes. It was here, she continued her journey to hope and transformation. It has been hard, but it has also been a journey with possibilities made possible by you. You helped introduce her to hope, to peace, to love, and to Jesus! She recently called to share she had been chosen as an outstanding nurse in the hospital where she works. You could hear the excitement in her voice as she shared how much she loves caring for others and sharing with them on their Journey to Bethlehem.
His mom had cancer. He went to live with his father and his stepmom—but his anger made it unbearable. When his mom died, he lashed out at everyone around him. He began showing signs of self-harm, and his family was concerned for his safety and mental health. He was hurting. Doors were closing all around him. He felt there was no hope. The family sought help, and a door opened. I listened a few weeks ago as this young man shared how his life had been transformed on his Journey to Bethlehem. He shared how the dedicated Christian men at Cameron Boys Camp had poured God’s Word into him. He shared how difficult the journey was, but that no one gave up on him. He shared how the chiefs prayed for him and walked with him. His Journey to Bethlehem eventually led to healing and to hope in Jesus Christ.
We have two precious three-year-old girls in our care on their Journey to Bethlehem. They are very different journeys. One has cancer and is going through chemo. One struggles with night terrors. Our prayer is they will experience healing and rest. Will you join me in praying for them and their amazing cottage parents? Praying for more doors opened on the Journey to Bethlehem.
BCH opens the door to a hurting child or a desperate family, and I hope and pray there will continue to be room for them in the arms of North Carolina Baptists. I pray that you have room in your heart for one more child and one more family as they Journey to Bethlehem. Through God’s help and your generosity, we were able to help these children on their journey, but it does not end there. Through your gifts to BCH, you helped 117,000 on their Journey to Bethlehem last year. You allowed them to see inside a stable. Because of you, they saw the baby that would bring light into their dark world.
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Mary and Joseph found rest and warmth in a stable. Every day, children and families on their Journey to Bethlehem find rest in a place called Baptist Children’s Homes.
Tomorrow, more will come, and your gifts and prayers make it possible to journey with them to their Bethlehem—ultimately a journey to hope, a journey to healing, a journey to joy, a journey to transformation, a journey to Christmas!
Thank you for your love, prayers, and giving hearts! Thank you for sharing with our children and families during this season of hope, love, peace, and joy—a season of God’s miracles.
The Journey to Bethlehem is the same for all of us. It is a journey to a place where hope abounds and fear fades away. It is a journey to a place where fears are quieted and hopes are fulfilled.
May it be so for you, your family, and for each one in need that walks through our doors on their Journey to Bethlehem.
Written by Brenda B. Gray, Executive Vice President, Development & Communications