It has been long,

And hard,

This road to Bethlehem –

Mires of uncertainty

Miles of despair

Narrow paths

Curving precarious

Above the precipice

Along the edge of chasms

Echoing dread

Soles scathed

Rough shod

Souls scarred

We trod

Hugging the cliff face

With fingernails

Ragged

Jagged

From hanging in

From holding on

For the lone traveller

Slowly, painfully plodding

The path of caution

Missing fellowship of family

Of friends

To make the journey bearable

Minutes were hours

And days dragged on to weeks

And weeks went on to months

And now

At last

At long, long last

The year is all but gone

It has been hard

So long

So hard

And lonely too

This road to

Bethlehem

Some of us

Did not make it

We who were left

Bereft

Wept

And wiped our weary tears

and hoisted the heavy hurt

of heart and

Somehow

Anyhow

Trudged on

and on

this long, hard road to

Bethlehem

Tonight,

We reach our destination

Straggling

Struggling wayfarers

Along the endless winding ways

One worn foot

One slow step

At a time

Tonight

We will arrive

And

That solitary star,

So often hidden,

So darkly sought,

Will beckon brightly

Beacon above

A small cold cave

And there within –

On manger bed

In cattle shed-

the Hope for which we faltered

fell and failed

The Joy for which we

Watched and wept and wailed,

The Light for which we longed

So long,

The Promised Peace for which we kept

And restless slept

And aching stepped

Our weary,

wandering,

worrying

winding way

to

Bethlehem

Enfleshed in newborn frailty

Embraced in Virgin Mother – arms

Enfolded in faithful Father love

Watched over by the wordless one

Of silent strength

Of all-chaste love

Shadow on earth

of the Father up above –

He smiles

He sleeps –

The Godhead Three

God Incarnate

Deity

And for this,

For only this,

For just this Joy,

This Single,

Singular Hope,

This Peace Profound

That abounds,

Surpasses

All human understanding,

This Light of Love for which

We longed so long,

For this we will be thankful

And rest awhile

And smile

And sigh

And cry

And bless

That bleak and broken road

That brought us

Safely home

to

Bethlehem

Authored by Dr Wendy M Dickson

Dr Wendy M Dickson, M.A., Ph.D (Lit)is the Founder-Director of Kiara Music Academy, Bangalore. She is also a former English Literature Professor at Jyoti Nivas College, Bangalore, who conducted their famed college choir. Presently, she is involved with full time work in choral music and theatre at her academy. She has also published three books. She enjoys writing, reading, and dabbles in various art forms, with a special interest in Scripture and Theology.