I am Donkey.

I’ve just had an amazing time travelling with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. It wasn’t like the first time, when no-one wanted to give us shelter.

This year we were welcomed by lots of people from different churches and neighbourhood groups. We went to lunch clubs with older people, and playgroups with toddlers; we went into schools and stayed in people’s homes.

Twice we were at carol services with a band playing – that made my ears tingle I can tell you! A couple of times we went to committee meetings – I have to say I dozed through those – and there were some lively discussion groups too.

We spent a whole day in the prayer corner at one school, and lots of the children came and spent time with us; Brownies and Guides welcomed us to their meetings as well. It was lovely to have time with people who wanted to pause in their busy lives and think about Mary and Joseph, and the Baby who was to be born.

At the end of our journey it was just like the first Christmas. People of all ages came to greet the Christ-child and thank God for his birth. It was good to be part of their celebrations too.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of the story for us Donkeys. We went on being alongside Jesus throughout his life – in fact it was one of my family who carried him into Jerusalem a few days before he died.

We were so close to him that we have a cross marked in our coats just across our shoulders as a sign that we served him. Look out for it when you come across us in the wild.

I’m told that Christians have a cross marked on them too, you can’t always see it, but we’re together in wanting to keep close to Jesus.

I hope we will stay close to him all through the year, and not lose sight of him in all the busyness of daily life.