Grace Frounfelker wrote “It Happened to Ordinary People” as seven monologs that retrace the events surrounding Jesus’ birth through the eyes of certain key characters. We present them here as a special series of devotions this Christmas season. This is from Anna.

Guess how old I am? Eighty-four my last birthday! And I’ve spent more than 60 of those years right here in the temple. I loved my husband, and I loved God. So, when my husband died after only seven years of marriage, I devoted my life to serving God.

Life at the temple is never dull. There’s always something happening and always people to talk to. Parents bring their firstborn babies here to present them to the Lord. Now I love babies. I watch for them. I always try to pull the blankets away to get a look at the little face. The Lord promised that one day he would send the Messiah. So, as I look into the face of each new baby, I ask, “God, can this be the One?” Then I say a prayer for each child.

Today it happened! They looked like any other young couple, she carrying her baby boy and he carrying the cage with the two pigeons for their offering. I stopped them and pulled back the blanket to see the baby’s face. In my heart I asked the same question. “God, can this be the One?”

It was like a flash of light went off in my head. The answer was clear and bright and sure. “Yes, this is the One!”

I must tell everyone I see. I am stopping each person coming through the temple gates. I have seen the Messiah, I tell them! I am 84 years old, and I have lived to see the face of the promised One!

Oh, excuse me, there come some people that I haven’t told yet. I must hurry to tell them. I have seen the Messiah!

Anna exits and stops to tell several people that she has seen the Messiah.

— Grace Frounfelker