Hidden in the Christmas story are many intensely practical lessons that are relevant for us today. This article goes beyond what you hear in church to focus on Jesus’ parents and how they were ready to face the unexpected. It provides us with important modern lessons on “readiness” that are hidden-in-plain-sight. This well-known story about the birth of Jesus deserves new, deeper attention. It’s not just a seasonal myth, it is an incident that really happened and it changed the world.