Identifying with Mary

I find myself, for some reason, thinking a lot about Mary this Christmas season.  I don't know if its because this year I have an infant at Christmas, or what it is really.  My other two boys were older their first Christmas and John just turned 4 months old.  I can't help but wonder how she felt when she delivered Jesus that first Christmas so long ago.  I am sure that she had much of the same feelings as I do when I look at my sleeping little boy snuggled in my arms.  I know that she knew she had just given birth to the Christ child but I am sure she did not know the full extent of what that would mean.  I am sure she remembered the first time he smiled, rolled over, laughed and all the firsts that you remember from your children. I know the relationship that develops between a mother and her children so I am sure that at some point Jesus sat his mother down and explained to her what he was going to have to suffer through and what she would eventually be witness to.  Even though I am sure she knew these things, I can't help but imagine when Jesus was hanging on the cross that all Mary could think about was her little boy, all those firsts and the pain that he was now suffering.  I am sure those next three days were the longest three days in her life.


I also imagine what would a "Mary situation" look like today. She would probably be featured on an episode of 16 and pregnant.  Wonder how many people would have believed the scenario of here is Mary, 16, engaged to Joseph and pregnant with what she claims to be the child of God?  


The birth of Christ also goes to show that God's plan will always be carried out and most of the time His plan differs from our own including the timing in which it takes place.  God can also use those who do not believe to help carry out what He has in mind.  I am sure that when Caesar Augusts issued out a decree to have everyone counted and sent them to their hometown that he had no idea he was helping fulfill prophecy from 400 years before that the Messiah would be born in Bethehem.


After thinking about Mary, I thought myself very thankful that when it came time for my child to be born that I did not have to travel on foot/donkey to get to the hospital and that I actually had a bed and not a place for the animals to stay.  No wonder she went into labor that night.


To end on a funny note: I was reading the story of the birth of Jesus to my Sunday School class and after the story was over, my sons response to all that was "If they were in a stable, who was there to cut baby Jesus out of Mary's belly"*. Oh from the mouths of babes.

**John was born via C-section and I have yet to have the conversation with my boys about where babies come from. So they think they are all cut out of the mommies tummies**.


I hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This week will be quiet busy I am sure so not positive if I will get to post anymore before then.