I settled down into my pew while my eight year old daughter practiced for the Christmas Pageant. She was practicing her lines,

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

The toddlers who were playing sheep in the pageant were climbing over pews and it was the sort of chaos that generally accompanies Christmas Pageants. It was warm in the church. There were some good people trying to direct the kids. As soon as the rehearsal was over, we would go over to my father-in-law’s house dinner.

While I waited, if played with my cellphone. It is a pretty powerful new smartphone, and I started by checking Twitter. I don’t remember exactly which tweet it was that caught my attention, but it went something like this:

leslie Help #arrow on Facebook: http://is.gd/5z8zz in case you missed the first few tweets

I checked to see what other posts on Twitter were about #arrow and found

truckersnews RT @longhawl: @truckersnews Help message board for stranded Arrow Trucking drivers http://bit.ly/6QwyQF #arrow#trucking #truckers #Travel

This lead me to the Facebook Page to Support Stranded Arrow Trucking.

I did a little more searching. A headline on WLTX reported 900 Drivers Stranded After Arrow Trucking Shuts Down.

“Many drivers learned that the company had folded only after filling up their rigs and discovering the company's fuel credit cards would not work.”

I thought back to the Christmas Pageant. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night, and tweeted “#arrow In that region there truckers stranded when their company suspended operations. Then an angel of The Lord appeared to them ...”

Reading through Facebook and Twitter, I read of people reaching out to help those around them; to help others get home for Christmas, as well as face the difficulties of they would encounter picking up the pieces after the company they worked for failed.

My mind drifted to the Richard Shindell song, The Next Best Western

Whoever watches over all these truckers
Show a little mercy for a weary sinner
And deliver me Lord, deliver me
Deliver me to the next best western

So, this Christmas, my thoughts and prayers go out to the truckers stranded when the company they were working for suspended operations. My thoughts and prayers of gratitude also go out to all of those that have stepped up to help out stranded truckers.

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

In the version I have it goes on to say, “Remember that trucker you helped out in Tulsa Oklahoma?”

So, this Christmas as you come adore the infant Jesus, keep your eyes up for where you give aid to The Lord. Merry Christmas everyone.