Christmas Eve

I think this time of year every Christian has thoughts about Mary, Joeseph, and the journey they set off on that changed our lives forever.  This year I have thought a lot about Mary and her situation.  Probably because my own pregnant belly has grown quite heavy, the Braxton-Hicks contractions are more frequent than they were a month ago, and my sweet baby girl has now grown large enough that I can feel her every move inside me.  So, I feel like I can identify with Mary more now than I have ever. 

When I think about her setting off on a donkey on a trip, my heart goes out to her.  How her back must have ached on the journey, the constant need to find a place to go to the bathroom, and the constant desire for something to drink.  I know she was used to a life that required a lot of work, but that journey must have felt endless.  Then, I think of how much I have read and tried to prepare myself for the work that lies ahead and how she probabvly had little more knowledge of the process of giving birth than just her faith in God and that it would be fine.  In some ways, her lack of medical knowledge may have been a blessing as she probably just went about it on instinct and had no expectation of how it should be.  Her faith in God was well placed because she gave birth to a baby boy who did change our world forever, just as she had been told.  

I hope this Christmas finds you with a few moments to reflect on your own faith and what you will put it in this coming year.  

Have a merry Christmas!