Mary’s Ordeal

 

 

Betrothed to one person

And pregnant for another,

Can’t you see the dire implication

And why I was bothered?

 

Joseph was a good man

And didn’t deserve this

And I was virtually out of my mind

When the period I missed.

 

I had been faithful

And a virgin I still was

But just imagine all the chatter-

The incessant buzz.

 

Who would believe me?

Joseph certainly did not

And being the kind of gentleman

He couldn’t let it drop.

 

Even after I told him

What the angel had said,

He still thought of breaking it off

Privately instead.

 

He did not make a fuss

And appeared quite calm

But I knew he felt disappointed;

He was a man.

 

But God told him

To still take me as his wife,

I am sure some of you would say,

Not on your life.

 

Well Joseph did

As history has shown

And in my pregnancy, you’d recall

I had to leave home.

 

 

 

We went to Bethlehem

To be registered

And it was there in that little town

That I delivered.

 

 

 

You view the nativity

And you do so with delight

But you do not have the first clue

Concerning my plight.

 

Innkeeper after innkeeper

Just turned us away

And not one of them would give to us

Even the time of day.

 

 

When at our wit’s end,

One had compassion

And my precious baby was born

In the unlikeliest fashion.

 

Dried hay for a bed

And for a crib, a manger,

Yes, in an animal’s feeding trough

Lay our Saviour.

 

The Saviour of the world

And my Saviour as well

As in the reflective Magnificat

I also did tell.

 

This was not a fanfare

But more so an ordeal,

Even after the father of my son

Was revealed.

 

 

 

I kept it all to myself

And inwardly pondered

While nursing my tiny baby boy

And my Saviour.

 

The ordeal that this was

Could not compare

With the fact that God in the flesh

Was finally here.

 

I was the chosen one

Though without merit

To be the mother of the Messiah,

Holy Spirit’s deposit.

 

Stewart Russell © December 21, 2025

 

A Little Lamb

 

 

I may not be much

For I am just a lamb

But Jesus identified with me

In salvation’s plan.

 

In that manger scene

I was very present

And I watched his father Joseph

Over him bent.

 

None shoo me away

On that eventful night

When into that animal stable

Came the Light.

 

Born of a virgin

In dire circumstances,

Regarding a manger birth of a king

What are the chances?

 

None I would suppose

But I witnessed it all,

Yes, that “King of kings” baby boy

Was the Son of God.

 

The animals all stood

Like they understood

That in the presence of Royalty

They also should.

 

I humbly stood too

Though just a little lamb

For that remarkable nativity scene

Was a wonderful plan.

 

 

 

Right there, was the Lamb

That would be slain

And it was for this very purpose

That he came.

 

The lamb of God

That takes away sin!

I was there in that manger scene

To see it begin.

 

Just a little lamb

Not as a sacrificial offering

But as a most unlikely invited guest

To watch grace unfolding.

 

God’s grace unfolding

In the advent of His Son

In time to fulfill a certain animal type

Of which I was one.

 

The spotless lamb

That takes away the sin

Of every single repentant sinner

That comes to him.

 

Stewart Russell © December 17, 2025

 

The Little Child in Me

 

 

 

There is a little child in me

That long for Christmas time,

Months before this time arrives

Christmas is on my mind.

 

I have come to realize

It’s not so much about things,

It’s definitely not about parties

And getting to have a fling.

 

It’s not really about the eating

And looking kind of rotund

When all year I’ve been struggling

To get rid of the extra pounds.

 

It’s not about the Christmas lights

Well, maybe a little of that,

But it’s something more, I think,

That provides the crowning cap.

 

Definitely, the nativity story

Still stirs the heart and mind

As we take that Bethlehem journey

The wonderful Christ child to find.

 

 

Away in a Manger,

Once in Royal David’s City,

O Come to My Heart Lord Jesus,

These wonderful songs of nativity!

 

Coming closer to the point!

Yes, therein is the wonderful fact!

That this little child in me

Connects with that Divine act.

 

Bringing meaning to the lights

And to the bounteous food,

To this unique sense of goodwill

That goes with the Christmas mood.

 

So that it’s not any one thing

But an amalgamation of realities

That arouses that little child,

Yes!  It is the little child in me!

 

 

And it doesn’t matter, my friend,

That I am almost seven decades

For I have discovered the older I get,

The less this reality fades.

 

And so, like some people I know

The countdown is really on

And there is a sense re the fight of time

This Christmas will soon be gone.

 

So, from one Christ child to another,

Enjoy this festive season!

It’s the child in you and me that knows

Christ’s nativity is the reason.

 

While shepherds watch their flock

They saw a shining star

And wise men bow in great delight

Having journeyed from afar.

 

Two old ones past eight decades

Anticipated that Holy Child,

And the child in them became excited

When that moment arrived.

 

Like them there’s this child in me

That just longs for Christmas time

And months before December comes

Christmas is on my mind.

 

If there is one single regret I have,

It’s that the day passes so quickly

And just around the evening hours,

I feel profoundly melancholy.

 

 

Perhaps it’s what the disciples felt

When Jesus went away,

But he gave them the wonderful assurance

That he will be back someday.

 

And so, if my life be spared,

There’ll be another Christmas too

And that little child in me will rejoice

And hopefully in you too.

 

Stewart Russell © December 2, 2022

The Sign of All the Ages

 

 

Behold a virgin shall conceive

And behold, it was so!

“Twas the sign of all the ages

This we all should know.

 

The single most important event

In all of earth’s history,

This sign given by the prophet Isaiah

Of the Messiah’s nativity.

 

For had Jesus not come

There would have been no crucifixion,

And, by extension I dare say,

No resurrection or ascension.

 

Behold!

A virgin shall be with child

According to the Gospel of Matthew,

Quoting from Isaiah the prophet

As the event came into view.

 

The sign of all the ages

As God came to live among men

Never mind as the narrative showed,

He was rejected by most of them.

 

A virgin shall bring forth a son

A male child, if you please,

And this is especially significant as well

Given today’s gender dis-ease.

 

 

Some are not happy being male

And some frown on being female,

Transgenderism is rife as a consequent

Thus, making for a sorry tale.

 

This tale of human degradation,

An affront to the Creator, God

Who created humans in his own image

As is acknowledge before the fall.

 

For, ‘twas this fall that started

The degradation of man

And God in His flawless foreknowledge

Initiated the redemption plan.

 

Paradise lost then paradise regain!

Banished, then reinstated!

God with man is now residing,

Emmanuel thus being interpreted.

 

 

And they shall call his name,

Emmanuel!

The greatest sign of all the ages!

God dwells among His people.

 

We treat to it as though it’s passed

But it continues even today,

Jesus makes his abode with them

That has found him as the way.

 

The way, the truth and the life:

The promise he has made to all

If only they accept this great salvation

In response to his clarion call.

 

The sign of all the ages

Conceptualized in eternity,

A virgin shall conceive and bear a child

As established in history.

  

Isaiah prophesied the event,

While Matthew walked with the Lord,

John with clarity announced

He came to save the world.

 

 

For God so loved that He sent…

It’s the one text that most know,

The greatest sign of all the ages

Please, I beg you, let it show

 

Today marks the 1^st of December,

We are in the Christmas tide,

‘Tis the season of goodwill endeavor

As we remember the Holy Child.

 

Stewart Russell © December 1, 2022

Granny at Christmas Time Part 1

Uh eat me last two conkies

And then me burp

Uh wash them down

Wid a pint glass of syrup

Uh went to de kitchen

And me wash out de glass

Uh was real excited

Christmas was coming fast

Uh here in me eighties

And uh still getting excited

When it come to Christmas

I does still be delighted

I does mek plans for it too

Doan mek no sport

I doan have much teet’

But uh still like me pork

I got a special plate

I does tek down from early

And I does put it dey

To hold de turkey

Dis plate real large

I en shame to tell you

And I got a nice pyrex dish

That uh does keep fuh de stew

Wunnah asking ‘bout ham?

Wuh I does got dat too

Nuh Christmas widout ham

Dah is still my view

Dese days uh just drinking plus

And sometimes ginger ale

Not dem eflorescent drinks

At my age dem fail

I doan eat much carbohydrates

But de vegetables uh like

Brockley, carrots and beans

Dem is still my delight

  

Partically now uh getting old

I does tink ‘bout me healf

And uh en doing nuttin foolish

Cause uh live at meself

Uh see you set up yuh face

Like yuh sufferin’ wid shock

Uh en in nuh nursing home

And uh en leffing dis spot

Old is in de nineties

And I en quite dey yet

So as far as I am concern

I still wid de young set

I got a nice frock dey

Dah is fuh Christmas morning

I must be sitting in de front

When de morning dawning

And uh pray dat said morning

De old pastor gine preach

He old and forgetful

But he does still preach sweet

I like to hear ‘bout de nativity

‘Bout Jesus coming to earth

And just in case wunna forget

Jesus had a birth

De Bible tell me

That he did born in Bethlehem

Some tink it foolish

But I does still tell dem

I feel so good dis morning

At muh getting old age

Dat muh head still good

And uh could turn to de page

Right in St Luke chapter 2

De Bible tell me

Evuhting ‘bout de baby Jesus

And de nativity

He was born in a stable

Duh wasn’t nuh room in de inn

Just like many hearts today

Nuh room pun account of sin

Nuh time fuh Jesus

Nuh room in dem hearts

But I praise God for de chance

When I did mek a new start

I am partically sure

‘Bout all that Christmas mean

And pun Christmas morning

Does refresh that scene

So I must get to church

And I must be at de front

I must hear dat old preacher

On de nativity account

After dat any number can play

As long as it Christian-like

I will go in Queens Park

And enjoy de sights

Uh gine stop here now

Cause uh getting old

Uh hope uh could come back

‘Cause there’s more to be told

Uh gine try to get back in

But in case uh doan get back

Focus on de nativity scene

And you’ll be right on track

Stewart Russell © December 2018

It’s Christmas Eve

 

It’s Christmas Eve

Would you believe?

It’s that time already.

The year begun

Just yesterday

Has flown so rapidly

It’s Christmas Eve

And here we are

Reflecting on the star

The star that stopped

Over Bethlehem

Guiding men from afar

It’s Christmas Eve

So soon again

The angels I can see

On that Judean hill

To shepherds tell

Of the nativity

It’s Christmas Eve

I must repeat

For one and all to hear

How Jesus came

That first Christmas day

Our awful sins to bear

It’s Christmas Eve

Just a day before

We celebrate his birth

Good will to men

The Angel said

Peace to men on earth

It’s Christmas Eve

And here I stand

Saved by his precious blood

My sins washed away

Forevermore

 By its cleansing flood

It’s Christmas Eve

Yes, here it is

Another opportunity

Grab it today

Do not run away

Upon it hangs your destiny

It’s Christmas Eve

So let’s celebrate

The born gain reality

Let’s go right now

In our hearts again

And ponder the nativity

Stewart Russell © December 2017