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Dear child, perhaps you know this story. I am telling
you the story of a special person who came to this earth
long time ago. He came with a purpose. Read on the
story.
Joseph and Mary lived in a little home in Nazar eth. They
were poor, but they were very happy. They were about to
be married. An angel had said, "Mary, you will be the
mother of a wonderful baby. He will be God's Son." He
was surprised, and was doubtful as she was not married.
But the angel told her that God would give her a Son.
The angel had also come to Joseph and said, "When God
gives Mary her dear little baby, you are to call Him
Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So
Joseph had asked Mary to live with him. Mary and Joseph
got married.
One day Joseph and Mary had to go away from their home
in Nazareth. A great king wanted to find out how many
people there were in his lands. He said all the people
should be counted. Everyone was to go to the place where
his father and mother had lived.
So Mary and Joseph had to go to the little town of
Bethlehem to be counted. It was a long, long way. It
took them at least four days to go that far. When they
came to Bethlehem, they were both very tired. They
wanted to lie down and sleep in a warm bed.
But many other people had come to Bethlehem to write
their names in the king's book. All the houses were
filled with visitors. Joseph and Mary could find no
place to stay. They knocked on many doors, but the
people said, "We have no room." The big house where
people stayed overnight was also filled. It was called
an inn.
Where could Mary and Joseph go? Mary was very tired. She
must have place to sleep. Behind the inn was a stable
where the animals were kept. Some sheep and cows were in
there, but it was dry and warm. Joseph led his little
donkey into the stable and helped Mary make a soft bed
out of hay. There in the stable they lay down to rest.
That night something wonderful happened. The Baby Jesus
was born. The heavenly Father gave the Baby Jesus to
Mary, just as He had promised. Mary had no soft bed for
the Baby, but there was a manger, a box from which the
animals ate their hay. So Mary wrapped the dear little
Baby Jesus in some cloth. Then she made a warm little
bed of hay in the manger and laid the Baby in it.
And do you know? This little Baby Jesus was God's own
Son. Our Father in heaven had sent Him to save all
people from their sins. Wasn't that a wonderful
Christmas Gift from God?
Dear child, let us thank God for His great gift of Jesus
for us. God bless you!
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