With the Christmas break in full swing, I have been blessed with an abundance of free time to spend with friends and family but most importantly alone with Jesus. In my extended quiet time over the past two days, I have had the chance to read the Christmas story in a fresh light with a focus on the mother of our savior. Mary was one of the people that knew Jesus best, she knew him his entire life. Mary gave birth to Jesus, nurtured him throughout his “terrible twos” (even though he was the perfect child), sent him off to kindergarten, encouraged him through the teenage years, saw him graduate, stayed in touch with him during his early adult years, and was there with him through his hardest days including his death on the cross. Mary KNEW Jesus on the absolute most personal level possible, and she loved him throughout his life. God hit Mary with some extremely unexpected interruptions. He sent an angel telling her she would give birth to a holy son while she was only just a girl. When it was about the time for Jesus to be born, the first ever census was enacted, Mary and Joseph were required to journey to Bethlehem. This was an interruption to all of the plans Mary and Joseph could have had that were necessary to get ready for Jesus’s birth. Although this may have been annoying, Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophesies. If anyone knew hard times, it was Mary. She trusted God and was blessed in unimaginable ways.
Lamentations 3:26-28
‘It is GOOD to hope and wait silently for the Lord to save us. 27 It is GOOD for people to endure burdens when they’re young. 28 They should sit alone and remain silent because the Lord has laid these burdens on them.’
Dear God,
Help us trust you in the hardest times, you show us that they are good for us. Let us be accepting of interruptions in our lives. Let this Christmas teach us more than any Christmas has before. We love you and thank you for sending your only son to our dark and desperate world.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
~Emilee ♡†
Just Passing Through 