Malled
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel
to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man
descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon
entering, Gabriel greeted her: “Good morning! You’re beautiful with God’s
beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.”
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like
that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise
for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name
Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord God will give
him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever — no
end, ever, to his kingdom.”
Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.” The
angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest
hover over you; therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy,
Son of God. And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as
she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant!
Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Yes, I see it all
now: I’m the Lord’s servant, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.”
(Luke 1:26-38)
Do any of the following words describe you? Hurried. Scattered. Stuffed.
Forgetful. Busy. Behind. Broke. If they do, you’re not alone. Christmas is our
annual reminder of why Santa takes the sleigh rather than the Interstate, and
how the mall got its name. Strange how a season of peace so often becomes a
season of panic. For some, however, this time of year brings more than just a hassle.
For them, it brings heartache. Many use sadder words to capture their Christmas
feelings. Words like: alone, discouraged, depressed, angry, hurt.
For instance,
the sight of happy children may be a reminder of a vacant crib. The busy social
calendar of some only highlights the empty calendar of others. Images of
families together reinforce the pain of families apart. If this season is hard
for you, if you’re looking forward to December 26th more than
December 25th, then I’ve got a story for you to consider. I’d like
you to contrast your circumstances with that of a young girl, perhaps no more
than 15 at the time; maybe even younger.
Here she is away
from home, miles from family and her own bed. She’s spent the last five days on
crowded roads enduring the winter chill. As much as she tries to keep a good
attitude, it’s not easy. This isn’t how she planned to celebrate the birth of
Jesus. No matter how you cut it, this isn’t a good time of the year to be away
from those you love. She’d envisioned a happy meal with family and friends and
– now look at her – stranded in a city of strangers. Even if she could leave,
she’d never make it home in time. And even if she had the time, she doesn’t
have the energy. She needs some rest. She needs a bed. She needs some help.
The last few
months have been about all she could handle. Ask her which is worse, the pain
in her heart or the pain in her back, and she’d be hard-pressed to make a
choice between the two.
Her heart aches
for her family. They’d gone through so much over the last year. Under normal
circumstances, they’d have been thrilled to learn of her pregnancy. But
pregnant before the wedding? With her conservative family and bizarre
explanation for her “condition”? And to have to tell the man you love you’re
carrying a child that isn’t his? It’s a miracle he still married her. A miracle
indeed. And a miracle is what she needs tonight.
Her back aches
from her pregnancy. She’d envisioned giving birth at home, mom holding one
hand, Joseph the other. Perhaps if they could all celebrate the birth of her
firstborn together, they, too, would believe what the angel said. At least,
that was Mary’s plan.
Of course, I
could be wrong about Mary’s plan. I’m a guy. So maybe the feeding troughs and
stables and midnight birth pains were her idea. But I don’t think so. I’ve yet
to meet a mother-to-be who dreamed of using a cow stall for a delivery room,
and a manger for a bassinet. I doubt if Mary did, either. So when Joseph
returned from the inn and asked her if she was allergic to sheep, it’s a safe bet
to say she was surprised.
This isn’t how
she planned to celebrate Christmas. And maybe this isn’t how you planned to spend
yours, either. When you stop and think about it, Christmas hasn’t changed much in
2,000 years. What brings us stress today, brought her stress then; but what
brought her joy, can bring us joy as well, if we’ll allow it. So, do what Mary
did.
First, trust God
for a Christmas miracle. Things may look bleak today, but they could change
tomorrow. Don’t assume that your troubles will necessarily linger. Mary had
faith to let God do a work inside of her. So, follow her example. Second, trust
in God enough to obey Him. Mary did. She obeyed. She didn’t rebel, pout or
demand a detailed explanation. She simply obeyed. And we can do that much. Make
it your aim to follow God as closely as you can.
And last, sign
up for servanthood. Mary told the angel: “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38)
Those who demand to be served are likely to be disappointed. But those who take
the position of a servant, on the other hand, are happiest because they have
the fewest expectations. Make it your aim to serve, not to be served, and the
clouds will lift.
Let Mary be your
model, and perhaps by the end of December you’ll be using words like “Joyful,” “Happy,”
and “Faithful,” to describe your spirit. Nothing, you see, is impossible with
God.
Grace,
Randy
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