In a true walk with Christ you learn that disruptions often become your greatest testimony, doing God's will is sometimes a lonely place and making your heart a Bethlehem can be the most humbling attribute. How does someone truly prepare themselves to experience the greatest disruption known to man-kind?
The angel came to her and said, “You are honored very much. You are a favored woman. The Lord is with you. *You are chosen from among many women. When she saw the angel, she was troubled at his words. She thought about what had been said. The angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. See! You are to become a mother and have a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the place where His early father David sat. He will be King over the family of Jacob forever and His nation will have no end.” Luke 1:28-33
I imagine the days leading up to the infamous moment of Mary being approached by Gabriel as a stirring of promise being fulfilled in heaven. Prophecies tracking back to the old testament, hearts craving an answer and minds soaring with how it could possibly come to pass. Perhaps God wrapped himself in the unexpected disruption so that we may know His love will go that far. The words of inevitable life rolled into the silent night air, and rang deep within her ears and deeper within her heart. Like any human she began to ask herself;
"How am I the favored one?"
" What did I do to deserve the public humiliation of becoming pregnant as a virgin?"
"How is anyone going to believe I am carrying the Messiah?"
"If God is so pleased with me, why am I having to bear this kind of burden for man kind?"
"Will I ever be able to live up to the title of mother of the Son of the living God?"
"If this is God's will why am I so horrified?"
In some instances our selfish thoughts can consume us into thinking we are not enough, worthy or what others may think, but while fear crept in promise and confirmation took over. Before her head could even agree, her heart was on its knees proclaiming "Holy is He and blessed am I to carry to light of the world." When we surrender ourselves as a vessel to the plan God has for us, the death of who we are allows Him to unravel us at each fold to be molded into all we are called to be. Like Mary, sometimes all we have to offer is a vacancy, but where there is room there is opportunity. God does not call the skilled, able or even the worthy, but the willing. We are created with a destiny that disrupts us, shakes our hope and can even test our faith, but what is a destiny that is mapped out versus a destiny that could be the fabrication to unknown blessings. Seeing all is not our job, but having faith in what we cannot see is what we are called to do. Being in submission to the will of God is sometimes a lonely road walked, but waiting to Him is not wasting it is working. He will never start a work He does not intend to finish, and every promise He has ever made will come to pass in His perfect timing in His even more perfect way. I am certain doubt filled her heart, and fear of the unexpected was ever present, but before ever doubting God...doubt your doubt. Dying before Christ is humbling all before Him; Mary gave up her reputation, her peace of mind, her plans and her desires for how she wanted her life to be for a greater cause....The greatest cause. What if she had not allowed herself to be used and submit to God's will? How could her lack of obedience have effected man kind forever? No one expected that the Son of God would be born to us of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger because there was no room. No would could comprehend this way of pure humility could possibly be great enough for the Great I AM. Yet weak and small laid the most powerful wrath of God who would transpire the very dimensions of this earth into new places He could touch. Ten tiny toes that would walk on water, travel paths untouched and lead the multitude. Ten tiny fingers that would one day mend hearts, cause blind to see and the death to hear. Hug the sinner, serve the poor and hold the weakest. Calm the storm, pray over the impossible and touch the unreachable. Those same little hands would grasp together in the garden in plead for another way to cure sin, break the bread representing His body and have nails dove through them in turn stopping His heart because of our lack of obedience...our fear to disruption. God's promises can be scary, unknown, have periods of drought, loneliness and even confusion, but we know not of what is to come. Instead of having a narrow mind to what is, see with heaven's eyes of what will be. Stray away from the thought of not being good enough, capable or even worthy, and simply be willing to pray for Him to be born in you. Like Mary, we hold Him in the beginning, He will hold us in the end and every moment in the middle our hearts are His Bethlehem.
