Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year!
I love the beautiful light displays and decorations. The colors bring a smile to my face. Then there are the wonderful Christmas movies on Hallmark channel (there is something magical about romance and Christmas!). The best chocolates and beverages also make their way to the menu at Christmas – a girl’s dream 🙂
However, the 1st Christmas was not glamorous at all and there was no light display. Actually the circumstances were rather depressing for the birth of a King.
Mary had an angelic visitation to notify her of the conception of Jesus and she uttered those priceless words that still challenge me: “be it unto me according to Your word”. During her pregnancy, she would have spent countless hours imagining what the birth of the Son of God would look like and feel like. Would angels be the midwives? Would there be a great light? Would the heavens open? Would King Jesus just pop out of her womb? What kind of splendor would accompany the birth of Immanuel?
Close to her due date, there was a decree by the king that everyone had to travel to their hometown to pay taxes. There were no exceptions and no way around the urgency of the decree. Mary had to take the long road trip with Joseph – on a donkey!
Imagining that journey from a pregnant perspective sends shivers down my spine. The fact that she had to sit on an animal and the bumps on the road must have been painful and close to unbearable. It is no surprise that she went into labor when they arrived in Bethlehem – the journey was long and arduous!
Now suddenly the d-day had arrived and it was action time. Despite her weariness, I’m sure Mary would still have the eager expectation of what the grand finale would look like – what would happen now….
Shockingly Joseph was not able to get them an hotel room because the rooms were sold out and everywhere was fully booked – this cannot be happening. At this point, Mary could barely speak and just observed the entire situation and Joseph’s frantic efforts with a mixture of disappointment and hope – surely God would step in any moment now – His son is about to be born and she needs to lay down and get help.
Have you ever been in a situation where things were going so bad that you couldn’t believe your eyes but still hoped for a last-minute intervention by God and a turnaround? Mary was right there!
Finally, the reality of the situation dawned on Mary and she resigned to laying down in a manger with the animals to birth the son of God. I can’t help but wonder how disappointed Mary must have felt. She could not never have pictured things taking such a dreary turn.
To make matters worse, there was no one available to help with the delivery except Joseph! OMG how would she manage labor and delivery with her young and inexperienced husband? He had probably never witnessed a birth and though he was eager to help, he was truly clueless!
Switching to survival mode, Mary alternated between bouts of pain during contractions and giving Joseph instructions to the best of her knowledge whenever the pain lessened. They kept the rhythm going until baby Jesus was born. The process was not what she had expected, but she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and fulfillment as she held the precious Son of God in her arms.
Are you feeling helpless or alone? Please know that things are not always what they seem. Mary was fulfilling the most important mission in heaven and on earth, yet at some point, it looked like she was all alone. God is with you every step of the way. He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you.[Tweet “Choose to believe the word of God over your circumstances. You are important and your life matters.”]
As the year comes to an end, direct your focus to the good of 2019. Look closely and you will find something to be grateful for. Start with the gift of life – you are still here and that opens the door to possibilities. I encourage you to keep going. Keep taking one faithful step after the other. Do all you know to do and trust that God is with you.
Keep standing, keep believing and keep hope alive. Everything will work together for your good.
