Once the fire was lit, the men settled down for supper before retiring to a small piece of cloth, laid on the ground, which they were to sleep on.
One man cried out, he saw a star illuminating in the sky. The light grew brighter and was soon so blinding, the shepherds could hardly see. They shielded their eyes, to stop the light, but suddenly the light was dim.
‘Do not be afraid, God has sent me, to tell you that our Saviour, Christ, is born. You must go forth to Bethlehem and in a stable, lying in a manger, bundled in blankets, you will find Christ’ announced the angel that had appeared before the shocked men. She drifted silently and weightless in the air, her robe fluttered gently in the cooling breeze. Her silver hair floated gracefully in the air, her innocent aura shone brightly in the pitch-black sky. ‘Remember, you are never alone.’ With that, thousands of angels appeared before them, singing God's praise.
With a sudden light the angels disappeared leaving the shocked, but ecstatic shepherds.
‘We must do the Lord's bidding, for he has spoken!’ exclaimed one man.
‘To Bethlehem!’
‘But it is late, we are all tired, we haven't eaten, Bethlehem is far! We must not commence this risk, it is madness’
The men considered these points, and murmured amongst themselves.
‘He has a point!’
‘They both have a point!’
‘What must we do?!’
‘We must follow the word of the Lord, our Saviour has come! We must welcome him! We must greet him! We must show him love, warmth and comfort!’
‘Yes we must!’ they all shouted in their own way. ‘We must go now, if we are to get there by day light.’
‘But who will look after the herd?’
They all looked at each other, puzzled about what to do.
‘I shall stay, you all must go,’ said a young, brave shepherd, ‘You should all go to see our Saviour, Christ.’
Catherine Payne Age 11