A Moment for Mary

They say that a child changes everything. They’re right. It does.


Now that I’m a mother, Christmas makes me reflect quite often about Mary. And, these reflections often leave me a little in awe of someone so willing to let God lead her life.

Mary was a young teenager, engaged to the man of her dreams, living pretty much the idyllic Jewish woman’s life. Then, she is miraculously visited by an angel who tells her that she has found favor with God and that she will become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Whoa. Not exactly how you picture finding out about your first pregnancy. And not exactly how you picture the meaning of God finding favor with you. Mary was engaged, but not married. Pregnancy, especially one not by your future husband, really meant death by stoning. Favor, really God?

But, thankfully God blessed Mary with a husband who was … understanding, or at least sensitive to God’s leading. And he led Mary on the 97 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census. Whether walking, riding on a donkey, riding in a car or flying in a plane, traveling 97 miles when you’re grotesquely pregnant is not fun. And I’m pretty sure a stable, hay, manger, and on-looking animals were not in Mary’s birth plan.

But God is in the business of taking the stuff that would never make sense to us and weaving into a beautiful part of His story for us. And in return for her step of faith, she held the Son of God in her arms.

Maybe I need to let God lead a little more.