Friday, November 30, 2012

GETTING CLOSER

Can you believe this is the last day of November? I am not sure where the last few months have gone. Especially the last eight months. It seems like yesterday that --

Do you think this might be what Mary was thinking? Was she wondering, “How did I get from ‘Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28 KJV) to being very uncomfortable?”

Did she ever say, “God, could you tell your Son to lie still so I can sleep?”

Did she ever tell Joseph, “There is no way this delivery is so near. And now we have to go to Bethlehem. I think that ole Caesar Augustus called for this new tax just to add to my stress level!”?

Wouldn’t you just love to sit down with Mary and ask her questions?

  • What was your first thought when the angel Gabriel appeared?
  • Did you question at all?
  • Did you wonder, “Why me?”
  • Were you scared?
  • Did you gently touch your belly when Elisabeth called your baby “blessed”?
  • How did you tell your parents and how did they react?
  • Did you hug Joseph when he told you an angel had visited him?
  • How did it feel when the Son of God moved inside you?

From experience, I can tell you that the first eight months of a pregnancy goes by very quickly. The last month is an eternity. You are uncomfortable. It is hard to stand up. It is hard to lie down. And there are still meals to cook, dust to redistribute, shopping to be done, a suitcase to pack and family members that believe they are still entitled to their fair share of attention. The last month --- HELP!!!

How did Mary feel?

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:46-49 (KJV)

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand maiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

AND NOW

As you are preparing for Christmas, put yourself in Mary’s place? Yes, men. This means you too. Stop and really think about Mary. Young. Pregnant. Just a few weeks from delivery.

What do you think she was thinking? Feeling? Praying?

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Dear Jesus, I am preparing for Christmas. I am preparing to celebrate your birth. I pray that as I shop, as I cook, as I work, as I rest, I will not forget why I am doing all of this. . . . . Amen

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