Have you every noticed how pristine and perfect scenes of Christmas are depicted? Even the travel, manger scene, and surroundings seem surreal perhaps because they don’t depict our messed up daily lives. We wish it could be so easy and with a sigh of exhaustion covet all those perfect families in the world, especially at this time of year. But wait, there are no perfect humans therefore no perfect families. In fact, there is so much more to learn from the Christmas story other than the importance of Jesus’ birth. This season is most definitely a lesson in survival for all of us.
While we don’t know for sure if Mary rode a donkey, scripture says in those days when distance traveling was necessary it was done by walking, riding an animal, or driving a cart filled with necessities. Travel was done mostly in groups for safety against night predators, robbers, in case of accidents, to help each other survive. It seems all Mary and Joseph had were themselves and God. And that was enough to complete their journey to Jesus. There was probably not room for many provisions and with Mary so close to giving birth I am sure they made haste, even traveling at night. So no matter how they got to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph somehow survived alone traveling close to 90 miles over rough terrain. There were no restaurants along the way, nor comfy beds to sleep in while resting. Heavy with child, Mary survived. Weary, from pushing to get to the destination of his ancestors, Joseph survived. It surely took skills handed down from generation to generation to plan for food, rest in safety among the hills and flatlands, not get lost during hazardous weather, and find the determination, tenacity, and strength in faith to keep going. They survived the trip with survival skills and God.
So what survival skills have been handed down to you? Could you grow your own food, harvest it, and prepare for enough to sustain you for a 90 mile walking, biking, or riding trip (without an ice chest or bottle of water)? What if there’s an injury along the way and no pharmacy or doctor is available. Do you know how and can you make healing ointments from the herbs you’ve grown to make poultices for cuts, scrapes, to wrap raw feet from walking, or chapped hands from hard work? Can you identify safe to eat plants, berries, and mushrooms along your way to supplement or add to your food supply? If the bike wheel breaks, you break a foot, the cart turns over, or the donkey goes lame, do you know what to do?
Do you have the skills to survive disaster, a grueling trip, or without the local grocery store, big box store full of everything? How about staying in until danger passes even if it means many months? Life is so much more than beach trips, Birthday parties, paying bills, and a superficial existence. Visit your skill set and evaluate your survival strategies. Remember the lingering memories of your ancestors or decide to take responsibility for yourself and family to learn. It’s never too late to learn valuable life lessons. Even if trauma, abuse, addiction, or PTSD has blocked or disrupted your memories along with your innate survival skills, the Divine within will take you by the hand and heart and lead the way. You only need to ask.
Mary and Joseph embarked on the trip of a lifetime. It was not easy getting there, but their life mission and survival depended on skills, faith in a higher spiritual power of Divine nature than themselves, and seeing to the safety of a babe to save humanity.
“For unto us a child is born…”