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I'm No Dreamer



I’m no dreamer… not like my namesake, the son of Jacob, and friend of Pharaoh.
I work with nails and wood, things you can touch and shape and hit with a hammer.
And I did a lot of that when Mary first told me.
I couldn’t believe it… How could she do that? Who was the father?
All she would say was it was nothing to do with her, The baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit, ordained by God himself.
Well I’ve heard some excuses in my time…
“Who do you think I am – a fool born yesterday!?”
But she seemed so genuine… so innocent… And, I thought… so naïve…
“Who has taken advantage of you? Who?” I asked… But she named no-one…


So I planned to drop the engagement quietly, leave it to her parents to ship her off to some relatives to have the baby… But I knew the news would get out… the shame would stick… To me as to her…
And I took my frustrations out on the wood in my workshop…


But then, I had that dream… I hadn’t been sleeping at all… It was my first decent night’s sleep and I was annoyed to be roused…
Only to realise that I wasn’t awake… and yet what stood before me was more real, more solid than anything in this world… An angel… a messenger from God he claimed...
And he confirmed Mary’s story… This child within her was not the result of a teenage fling, or someone taking advantage of a foolish girl But conceived by the Holy Spirit.
I was told he was to be called Joshua… Jesus… Which means “God Saves…” A good name…
Somehow this child growing within Mary is to save us all from our sins… And fulfil the words of the prophet… born of a virgin, showing that God is with us… Emmanuel.


Well, he had better be with us… because it won’t be easy… Not everyone will believe the story… Tongues will wag and fingers will point…


But I will do what I can:
I’ll carve a cradle for this son of God…
I’ll try to teach him the word of his Father
And I’ll train him in my trade…
To work with wood and nails…

Written for Dundonald Methodist Lessons and Carols by Candlelight 21st December 2008.
David A. Campton © 2008
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