What Do You Mean "No Room?"

Finding significance in small acts of kindness

This first Christmas is a lot like some of our Christmases today. Chaotic. We travel great distances only to arrive at a place with more people than beds. The trip for Mary and Joseph took place when families had to return to their home town for a census, and it got a little crowded. As the story goes, Mary was expecting a baby, and there was no room for them. But in the midst of the chaos, someone offered them a place to stay out of kindness. The gesture must have seemed so small and insignificant at the time, but look at the impact it has made thousands of years later. Matthew Barnett elaborates on small acts of kindness and the difference they make.

Consider for a moment that we are looking at the birth of a prophesied King. A King above kings, Lord above lords. What would you expect out of this story? You expect feasts, luxurious goods, crowds of people to celebrate. But no feasts are mentioned. Jesus is born in a manger lined with hay. His family is in the presence of animals. What we do see is a story that is so unique and humbling. And it is all embodied by one act of kindness that has been echoed for years. God had a creative way of using someone’s kindness to change a regular situation into something incredible. You never know when that one small thing you do out of kindness will affect someone, or in this case everyone, so greatly.

Application Questions:

• Remember a time when someone did something for you. What did it mean to you and how did it affect your life?
• What are some opportunities for you to offer a small act of kindness to someone?