How Was I to Know?

 

 

How was I to know

For I genuinely didn’t,

Unlike those excited shepherds

I really couldn’t.

 

There was no room

Well, except mine

And beside the animal stable

None could I find.

 

Mine wasn’t the first inn

That they had tried

So, I could not turn her away;

She was with child.

 

And heavily so

Just about to deliver,

Sorry to say, that animal shed

Was all I could give her

 

There she gave birth

Among the animals

To the Saviour of the world,

Not just Israel.

 

 

 

I offered the stable

That is all I could do,

Tell me, how was I to know?

Would you?

 

As I left them, I said,

God be with you

But this is the customary thing

That I would do.

 

I did not know then

What truth I spoke

And that the child she carried

Was the world’s hope.

 

The King of kings?

Born outside the palace?

What’s more, born in a stable?

The animals’ space?

 

How was I to know

Unless I was notified

That my specific inn was to house

The Christ child?

 

 

 

No room for Jesus

In any of the inns

But believe you me, had I known,

I’d have let in him.

 

Yes, there in my inn

The Saviour was born,

Not in any presidential room

But a stable forlorn.

 

I only came to know

After the fact

But had I known before hand,

It’d not be like that.

 

So, now that you know

Will you let him come in?

Is there any room in your heart

For him?

 

Stewart Russell © December 19, 2025

 

A Magi

 

 

Perhaps you had heard

There were three of us

But whether there were more or not

Is not my focus.

 

Maybe you thought

We started out together

But again, neither is this my focus

So, no need to bother.

 

I just want to share

The incredible experience I had

And let me tell you from the outset,

I am eternally glad.

 

Please understand upfront

That I was not a Jew

And thus, the more wonderful to me,

And perhaps also you.

 

 

 

I studied the constellations

With their countless stars

And I was able to tell their distance

Whether near of far.

 

They often told of events

Particularly in the future

And because of the Almighty God

I got the picture.

 

I was not an afterthought

But I was always included

And just like the shepherds earlier

I was not excluded.

 

 

 

I followed that star

That mysteriously moved

Straight to over King Herod’s place

To give him news.

 

News of a new born king

He did not even know

But to whom that star had pointed

And also showed. 

 

I left King Herod’s palace

Of course, none the wiser

But I found the star still waiting

To be my guider.

 

It guided me to a house

In which was a young child

And by whom, I felt the strong urge

To kneel beside.

 

 

 

I presented him a gift

And it was of myrrh

With which he would be anointed

When his death occurred.

 

To me that was strange

For he was just a toddler,

Why should death at this early stage

Be a bother?

 

There were two more gifts

That I can recall,

There were gold and frankincense;

Yes, that was all.

 

There was a great presence

There in that room,

And it was of a heavenly invitation

And not of doom.

 

 

 

What an experience

And what great salvation

To be in the same room as the one

To bring redemption!

 

Not only for the Jew

But for the Gentile as well

And what great news other magi and I

Had to tell!

 

Some call us wise men

And some call us kings

But I can tell, seeing the Christ child

Meant everything.

 

Stewart Russell © December 16, 2025

 

Independence to Christmas

 

 

To the blue and yellow of Independence

Add the green and red for Christmas

Thus, a greater array to warm the eye

With a little more fuss.

 

From the conkies of November

To all kinds of cake at Christmas

And ham, although all the year round,

At Christmas is a must.

 

From the builders of Barbados

To the One who created life,

The Almighty God on who we can depend

For counsel and advice.

 

From Independence to Christmas

Two months of celebration,

Both very critical to our everyday life

And worthy of contemplation.

 

The former is local in its focus

The latter, for the greater good,

One was built on blood sweat and tears,

The other, on Jesus’ blood.

 

 

 

Yes, Christmas points towards

A dark Mount Calvary;

From the glitter and lights of Christmas

To Good Friday’s mystery.

 

From a Christmas tree bedecked

To a blood stained cross

Where Jesus hung for several hours

To redeem the lost.

 

From Independence to Christmas

From colonialism to freedom,

Not just the freedom of a Nation Republic

But of a heavenly kingdom.

 

Thank you, Lord, for Barbados

And for this place we call home

But most of all we are beseeching you:

Make our hearts your throne.

 

From Independence to Christmas,

November to December,

The latter long preexisted the former

This we must remember.

 

 

 

Before earth’s foundation

The first advent was planned,

Not an afterthought, like some believe

When Jesus became man.

 

Yes, in a Bethlehem cattle shed

The Christ child was born,

God, the creator of all that there is,

Took on human form.

 

Thus, the reason for Christmas,

And our Independence,

For, without the Word that created,

Nothing’s in existence.

 

Stewart Russell © December 4, 2025

 

Spare a Thought This Christmas

Spare a thought this Christmas

For someone you know is in need

Be a special friend to that someone

Be a special friend in deed.

Alone and without life’s necessities

And far off worse than you are

Be the blessed tidings this Christmas

Or be that person’s guiding star.

Something more on their table

And that more than for selfish gain

Something more than a glass of water

Something given in Jesus’ name.

A little cheer to brighten their day

To give them a hope and a reason

And remind them at this Christmas time

That Christ is the reason for the season.

Ease the hardship and discomfort

They have confronted all year through

Give something tangible, something new

Something more than just “God bless you.”

Tell them of the Christ child

That was born in Bethlehem

Tell them that he is the reason

That caused you to think of them.

Tell them how he brought salvation

How he went the way of the cross

How he rose again triumphant

Having settled the debt that sin cost.

How beyond what you have given them

Jesus is by far the greater gift

How like you he wants to befriend them

And repair that sin-caused rift.

How being created for his glory

Sin had brought about separation

But Jesus has paid the infinite price

And bought for them redemption.

  

Yes, spare a thought this Christmas

Be generous and be kind

Make this the best Christmas ever

For someone God brings to your mind

Stewart Russell © December 2017

Away From Me

Get away from me

You vile being

Bringer of evil and gloom,

For me there’s hope

For you there is none

Your days are numbered

You are doomed.

An opportunity you had

In heaven

But overcome with pride,

“I will raise my throne

On par with God.”

But down

You were cast

And heaven denied.

In the Garden of Eden

You tried again

And deceived Mrs. Adam,

But God

Set you up

And crushed your head

As he revealed  

In Redemption’s plan.

Not long after

Things got bad

As bad as things could be,

There was a flood

And mankind was drowned

But Noah was saved

And his family.

You are as persistent

As a mosquito

Or the flies we often see,

But with

Submission to God

In James we’re told

Resist you

And you will flee.

That is the key

In dealing with you

Whenever temptation you bring,

Get thee behind me

You destroyer of life

I will live

For Christ

And of Him I will sing.

You wanted King Herod

To kill the Christ Child

But nothing takes God by surprise,

Your plan was thwarted

And you were denied

For sure

The wise men

Were really wise.

I will not indulge you

In conversation

Whenever you come to me,

I have better things

With my life to do

So away with you

And that I mean

You evil adversary.

With Jesus on the cross

And then in the grave

Perhaps you thought you had won,

But the stone

Was rolled away

From before the tomb

And triumphantly

Rose God’s Son.

One final thing

I will mention here

And it has to do with the end,

You’ll go to hell

With your demon crew

And I will be

With Jesus

My Savior and friend.

Stewart Russell © October 2017