The Shepherd

By Sonal Kellogg

This is the story of a shepherd and his family set in the time of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago. Joshua is one of the shepherds to whom the angel of God gave the first message of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The story begins with the simple narration of this Jewish family who believes in the coming of the messiah. They live in a modest hut on a hillock near Bethlehem. Joshua has two daughters and two sons. It is a story of hope, struggle and triumph. It is story of strength of character and of hope in an ever present God.
It is a story about Joshua, his wife Sarah and their children Naomi, Reuben, Martha and David. Of tending sheep and selling wool and making a living while still helping their friends and keeping their faith. It’s a story about love and toil, temptation and aspiration.
The high point of the story is the day the angel of God proclaims the birth of Jesus to the shepherds who are tending their sheep in the pasture. Just after the angel’s message, Rueben, the elder son comes running to inform Joshua that his younger son David, who has been ailing for a while, has become critical. Joshua is torn between going to pay homage to baby Jesus with the other shepherds on the one hand and to be with his son David on the other hand.
The decision Joshua takes, is what shapes his future life. Read the book and find out Joshua's decision and how this affects his future and his family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sonal Kellogg
• Release date: Sep 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311714794

Sonal Kellogg

Sonal Kellogg is currently working as a Content developer and a writer in Ahmedabad, India. She has worked as a consulting editor of Aim magazine for one year and a web editor for an International NGO programme.She has been a senior journalist with various national daily newspapers for over a decade. She worked for The Asian Age and The Indian Express.She has also worked as a television director for various commercial channels in India including Zee TV and Cinema Vision and also at Educational Media Research Centre (EMRC) where she made educational television programmes.She has taught journalism at Delhi university and at other places.Sonal has a masters in Development Communication degree.She is founding member of many professional bodies like the Network for Women in Media, the Gujarat Women’s Media Forum and also a member of Indian Women Press Corps.She is a published author. Her book, “The Shepherd” was published in print in December 2010 and released in New Delhi.She is a mother of two girls and lives with her younger daughter and mother in Ahmedabad, India.

Book preview

The Shepherd

Sonal Kellogg

Copyright 2014 Sonal Kellogg

Smashwords Edition

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Cover Page and Art work design by Dilip Dave

Contents

Acknowledgements

Overview

1. Waiting for the Messiah

2. Sheep to Pasture

3. Reuben’s Trip to Bethlehem

4. Shearing Time

5. To Bethlehem Again

6. Home Safely

7. The Marriage Proposal

8. The Visit to Jesse’s Home

9. Trip to Jerusalem

10. In Jerusalem

11. Elizabeth Delivers a Baby Boy

12. Disaster Befalls

13. Angels Declare the Birth of Jesus

14. Baby Jesus in a Manger

15. Epilogue

16. About the Author

17. Connect with Me

18. Reviews

Dedicated to my mother, Kamal Prabha Kellogg, who has always been the source of my strength. She has constantly encouraged me and believed in me when no one else did.

Acknowledgements

No book can be an individual effort. There are always a host of persons who have helped, encouraged and supported you in your endeavour.

It’s no different for me.

I thank Rahul Banerjee, a dear friend for editing my book and that too at such short notice. I also thank Dilip Dave, another friend, who did the cover page art and the sketches for my book.

I would also like to thank Reverend Richard Howell who was kind enough to offer me encouraging words for my first book. I also thank Arch Bishop Vincent M Concessao and veteran journalist John Dayal for their support of my book The Shepherd.

Last of all but not the least I would like to thank my daughters Abigail Shannon Kellogg and Sera Natasha Kellogg who have always supported all my efforts. They bore the brunt of all my temperamental behavior during tense periods.

Sonal Kellogg

Overview

This is a story of Joshua, a shepherd living in a village near Bethlehem. He and his wife await the coming of the Messiah like many other Jews but they do not know when this significant event will happen. Joshua, his wife Sarah and four children live with the knowledge that Yahweh is their ever present God who looks after them.

It’s a story of struggle, triumph, pain and hope of simple folks whose lives changed in a momentous event in a miraculous way.

One day Joshua and his fellow shepherds were tending sheep when the angel of God appears to them to announce the birth of baby Jesus in Bethlehem in a manger and that he was the Savior of the world. All shepherds plan to go immediately to see this miracle child.

But just then Joshua’s elder son Reuben comes to tell his father that his younger son David was very sick and that he needed to come home immediately. Joshua was torn between wanting to be with his son and visiting baby Jesus to see the promise of the Messiah fulfilled.

Joshua’s decision will be the crux on which his and his family’s future depends. Read to find out what Joshua does and how it affects his family and friends.

Chapter 1: Waiting for the Messiah

Sarah woke to find her husband, Joshua, was not next to her. She was not sure what awoke her but she looked around in the faint morning light. She checked in the other bedroom where all the children were fast asleep. Though she was eager to look for Joshua, she resisted the urge to go outside her home and instead took time to pull the covers over little Martha.

Like always, she was sleeping without covers, away from her elder sister Naomi, who lay there cuddled by herself. Martha could catch a chill thought Sarah so she tucked her back inside.

Before leaving the room, Sarah lovingly glanced at the other cot where her two sons slept blissfully, both cozy under the sheepskin covering. Then she stepped outside and looked around in the dawn. She saw the silhouette of Joshua sitting on a log looking at the vast meadows just outside their fencing. Their house was on an incline from where they could see for mile.

Sarah waited near the house, reluctant to disturb her husband who obviously wanted the solitude. But then he turned around, sensing her presence so she sat down next to him. Both sat in comfortable silence as the sun rose colouring the sky in all the hues of red, gold and yellow.

Still watching the horizon, Joshua said to his wife, Sarah, I wonder when the messiah will come as promised to us. Sometimes I think, maybe, we will see him. I often feel we are on the threshold of something big. It had been years since Israel has seen a prophet and people have almost stopped waiting for the Messiah to come.

Still looking ahead, Joshua continued as if speaking to himself, I feel it's time for God's promise to be fulfilled. I am a simple man, just a shepherd not like the Pharisees who know about such things. But in God's eyes all of us are as important as the other.

Looking a little surprised but smiling, Sarah said, I too have these feelings, like something huge is about to happen, not like a premonition but more like a pleasant phenomenon to look forward too. Sarah was a devout woman who took care of the family and taught her four children the traditions of Jewish religion between chores. The morning quiet was broken when the sheep started moving around and bleating.

Sarah heard the cry of a child from the house and the spell that held the couple broke. She rushed inside to check. It was little David who was sitting up crying. Hush baby, go back to sleep, Sarah patted him. After David had gone back to sleep, Sarah got a pot from the kitchen. She had to get water from the well to prepare the morning meal and for washing. Later she would wake up Naomi to help in the household chores. She smiled as she thought of Naomi, her eldest child who at fourteen had already entered puberty. Soon she would be old enough to marry.

How time flies, she thought. Just the other day, Naomi was dashing around the meadows, running after the sheep, shrieking as she ran, and now she is almost a grown up woman. Sarah remembered the many times that Naomi has scattered the sheep with her wild screams and sprints with arms spread wide. Now the girl was changing, growing more responsible as she grew up, though she still had the tomboy in her.

Sarah made a mental note of the things she needed to get done as she drew water from the well. She had to light the wood in the fireplace and prepared the bread. Here take the milk, said Joshua, the sheep are not giving as much milk as they did earlier. I think a few of them are also pregnant.

Sarah poured the milk into a pan to heat later. Sarah liked to ensure Joshua ate a bit before he went off with the