Mary's Journey

Merry Christmas everyone! As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, I've been reflecting on that moment over 2000 years ago that our Savior came to us as a baby. I've gone to church my whole life, even though I haven't been a Christian my whole life, and have many memories of how the birth of Christ has been presented to me throughout my life. I can still remember my preschool Sunday School teacher telling us the story of Christmas on a flannel board with a little baby in a manger and all the other flannel "characters" in the Christmas story. As I got older, the story took on more meaning. I most certainly had a whole new respect for Mary after giving birth to my own children! Mary had no hospital, no monitors, no doctor and NO DRUGS! This past year I really reflected on the logistics of it all. Mary, a child herself, stands in the presence of God and is told that her virgin body will be with child. Imagine a teenager trying to tell her parents that today. "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant, but really, I'm still a virgin. Seriously, it's okay, God told me I'm going to have His child." It sounds so absurd! I imagine, that most people didn't buy it when Joseph and Mary told people that all those years ago. If someone told me that, I'd wonder what drug they were high on. Mary's my idol! She trusted God and I'm sure that's why God chose her to give birth to His Son. My admiration for Joseph is no less. He could have easily walked away and gone on with life, but He didn't. God spoke to him too and Joseph's faith in God was stronger than any other outside influence.

Now I turn to the journey to Bethlehem. Mary traveled to Bethlehem on a donkey IN LABOR! I don't know about you, but when I was in labor, one of the last places I would want to be would be on a donkey! I can't imagine the pain she endured and the fear in her heart, remember, she was just a child herself. As if the pain wasn't enough, she had to give birth outside. Anyone who has ever been on a farm knows that it stinks! Not only does it stink, but it's not exactly sanitary. That cute little stable that is part of your Nativity Set at home is everything but the real stable where she gave birth. She gave birth in filth, where the animals lived. Really think about that....seriously think about the details and reality of that. That is how God chose for His one and only son to come into this world. God could have sent His son to be born in the finest facilities, to be raised like a King, to have everything at His disposal. However, what would that have accomplished? God came to save the poor, the broken, the lowest of society. There is no better way to reach those people than to live among them and love them. I imagine that's why the wealthy, the noble people had such a problem with Jesus. They thought they had it all together and God found favor in them for their riches. They couldn't be more wrong. What better way to teach them humility, gentleness, grace, patience, acceptance, kindness, than to come into the world as an innocent baby that would live among the poor.

Christ's birth and humble upbringing is why I love missions so much. It's what I loved about traveling to Guatemala and working among the poorest of people, the forgotten people. What better way to show them love than to invest in their lives. It's why I yearn to go to Africa. God love everyone, especially the poor, the marginalized, those seen as the lowest of society. It's God's call on me to reach them and love them the same way Christ lived and loved the lowest of society. What an incredible love He has for us!