Spiritual GPS
A Christmas tale for little children who love Jesus
Hello, I was on born on a nice Spring day, a little donkey. My master, Benzel was a good man.
He would put his tools on my back and we would walk to his land outside of Nazareth where he
would work his crops. I would stand or lie in the shade and wait for his lunchtime when he
would lead me to the water to give me fresh hay and then go back to his work. He was a good
Master, taking me home every evening where he and his wife lived.
One day while my Master was busy in the field a man came to visit him. They both came over to
me. The man looked at me checked my mouth and teeth and then told my Master that he and
his wife had to take a long trip to a little town called Bethlehem and he wanted to buy me from
my Master. Now my Master and I had been together for almost three years and I hoped he
would keep me - he was a good Master. The stranger gave something to my Master and I was
led away. I cried a final epha to my Master but was led away.
The next day, my new Master led me outside his house in Nazareth and went in to talk to his
wife. They both did not want to take the trip, but had no choice. As I listened to my new Master,
I learned his name was Joseph and his wife's name was Mary. They seemed very nice and
Joseph gave me feed and water. I also heard that Mary, his wife, was going to have a baby and
that is why Joseph bought me.
A couple of days later we started our trip. I had gone back and forth with my old Master, but
this was a big trip. I had never walked so far in my life! We would walk for a while, Mary sitting
on my back, until there was a watering hole. Then we would stop. I was glad because even
though Mary was not very big, I was not used to anyone riding me for a long time. It was at one
of these stops that Mary gave me my name - Ephod. She said it sounded like the little noise I
make when I talked. She would talk to me saying things like "Nice Ephod," "Let's go Ephod," "
Poor Ephod, having to walk all the way." Mary was nice and I did not mind carrying her - she
seemed not to weigh much, but maybe that was her way of caring for me.
There were many other people also on the way to Bethlehem and when we donkeys got
together we would compare our Masters. I was very proud to belong to Mary and Joseph. They
always took good care of me - not like some other Masters of other donkeys.
After three long hot days on the road, we finally came to Bethlehem. It was a very big city with
many people and many animals, even camels. When we animals had a chance to pause we
would tell each other where we were from. One old camel told me he was headed to Jerusalem
so the king could have some spices and jewels.
That night Joseph and Mary tried to find a house to sleep in. Joseph was tired, Mary was tired
and Ephod was tired - it had been a long trip and my legs needed some rest. We went up the
streets in Bethlehem but no one had a room for us. What were we to do? Other people were
looking for rooms too because someone in Rome said everyone should go to the place where
the family came from. That's why Joseph and Mary had to come to Bethlehem. They were
some relation to old King David and he was from there.
Finally Joseph was told there was a shed he could use. The shed also had an ox in it which
was fine with me. He and I would talk together while Mary and Joseph were trying to sleep.
And then! Mary had her baby!
He was small with rosy cheeks. Mary wrapped him up in some cloth she had brought along and
rocked him to sleep. It was nice and quiet, Joseph, Mary, and her baby, Bov the old ox and me.
Bov and I moved closer to Mary and her baby and she put him in our feed box so he would
have his own little bed. Bot, Bov and I would keep him a little warmer by breathing on him.
What a day! Walk for all those miles and then having a little baby to keep warm. I wondered
where the old camel was that night.
I guess Bov and I fell asleep and were shocked awake by the voice of a little boy shouting,
"Come, come mommy. I have found the baby." And then the people came and more people and
more people.
Evidently from what I heard, this baby was someone special. Seems the whole world had been
waiting for him a long, long time and to think that I was helpful in bringing him into the world!
Mary held him close. Every once in a while she would let another lady hold him and they would
talk about the wonderful baby he was. And then we heard singing.
Angels came to sing to him and to all of us. They sang very beautiful songs about God and his
peace to all men who followed God's laws.
Everyone seemed very happy and even one little boy asked Joseph if he could pet me. That
was real nice that someone noticed Bov and me. None of us got much sleep that night, except
Jesus - that was the name Mary gave to the baby.
He was to be a king and I thought as I stood there with Bov, keeping him warm, the old camel
had told us he was bringing spices and jewels to the king. Wait until I tell him that I carried the
king and His mother all the way from Nazareth.
I may be a little donkey but I would not trade my experience for anything. With Joseph, Mary
and Jesus I am very happy with my family, and Mary has plenty of reasons to call me her
Ephod.
©2008 Fr Louis Schlangen
Hello, I was on born on a nice Spring day, a little donkey. My master, Benzel was a good man.
He would put his tools on my back and we would walk to his land outside of Nazareth where he
would work his crops. I would stand or lie in the shade and wait for his lunchtime when he
would lead me to the water to give me fresh hay and then go back to his work. He was a good
Master, taking me home every evening where he and his wife lived.
One day while my Master was busy in the field a man came to visit him. They both came over to
me. The man looked at me checked my mouth and teeth and then told my Master that he and
his wife had to take a long trip to a little town called Bethlehem and he wanted to buy me from
my Master. Now my Master and I had been together for almost three years and I hoped he
would keep me - he was a good Master. The stranger gave something to my Master and I was
led away. I cried a final epha to my Master but was led away.
The next day, my new Master led me outside his house in Nazareth and went in to talk to his
wife. They both did not want to take the trip, but had no choice. As I listened to my new Master,
I learned his name was Joseph and his wife's name was Mary. They seemed very nice and
Joseph gave me feed and water. I also heard that Mary, his wife, was going to have a baby and
that is why Joseph bought me.
A couple of days later we started our trip. I had gone back and forth with my old Master, but
this was a big trip. I had never walked so far in my life! We would walk for a while, Mary sitting
on my back, until there was a watering hole. Then we would stop. I was glad because even
though Mary was not very big, I was not used to anyone riding me for a long time. It was at one
of these stops that Mary gave me my name - Ephod. She said it sounded like the little noise I
make when I talked. She would talk to me saying things like "Nice Ephod," "Let's go Ephod," "
Poor Ephod, having to walk all the way." Mary was nice and I did not mind carrying her - she
seemed not to weigh much, but maybe that was her way of caring for me.
There were many other people also on the way to Bethlehem and when we donkeys got
together we would compare our Masters. I was very proud to belong to Mary and Joseph. They
always took good care of me - not like some other Masters of other donkeys.
After three long hot days on the road, we finally came to Bethlehem. It was a very big city with
many people and many animals, even camels. When we animals had a chance to pause we
would tell each other where we were from. One old camel told me he was headed to Jerusalem
so the king could have some spices and jewels.
That night Joseph and Mary tried to find a house to sleep in. Joseph was tired, Mary was tired
and Ephod was tired - it had been a long trip and my legs needed some rest. We went up the
streets in Bethlehem but no one had a room for us. What were we to do? Other people were
looking for rooms too because someone in Rome said everyone should go to the place where
the family came from. That's why Joseph and Mary had to come to Bethlehem. They were
some relation to old King David and he was from there.
Finally Joseph was told there was a shed he could use. The shed also had an ox in it which
was fine with me. He and I would talk together while Mary and Joseph were trying to sleep.
And then! Mary had her baby!
He was small with rosy cheeks. Mary wrapped him up in some cloth she had brought along and
rocked him to sleep. It was nice and quiet, Joseph, Mary, and her baby, Bov the old ox and me.
Bov and I moved closer to Mary and her baby and she put him in our feed box so he would
have his own little bed. Bot, Bov and I would keep him a little warmer by breathing on him.
What a day! Walk for all those miles and then having a little baby to keep warm. I wondered
where the old camel was that night.
I guess Bov and I fell asleep and were shocked awake by the voice of a little boy shouting,
"Come, come mommy. I have found the baby." And then the people came and more people and
more people.
Evidently from what I heard, this baby was someone special. Seems the whole world had been
waiting for him a long, long time and to think that I was helpful in bringing him into the world!
Mary held him close. Every once in a while she would let another lady hold him and they would
talk about the wonderful baby he was. And then we heard singing.
Angels came to sing to him and to all of us. They sang very beautiful songs about God and his
peace to all men who followed God's laws.
Everyone seemed very happy and even one little boy asked Joseph if he could pet me. That
was real nice that someone noticed Bov and me. None of us got much sleep that night, except
Jesus - that was the name Mary gave to the baby.
He was to be a king and I thought as I stood there with Bov, keeping him warm, the old camel
had told us he was bringing spices and jewels to the king. Wait until I tell him that I carried the
king and His mother all the way from Nazareth.
I may be a little donkey but I would not trade my experience for anything. With Joseph, Mary
and Jesus I am very happy with my family, and Mary has plenty of reasons to call me her
Ephod.
©2008 Fr Louis Schlangen