Every Christmas Eve – since before I can remember – my cousins and I have sat surrounding our great-grandfather’s feet listening intently to the story of Jesus’ birth. Now that he has gone to be with Jesus, my great-grandmother has taken on the role and the tradition remains. We each continue to sit and listen with wide eyes, and expectant ears as we now could recite the words with her. The space on the couches and floor becomes less and less each year as we grow and multiply. We once could all fit among the rug; we are now pushing every square-foot of the whole room. To me, it is a reminder of how things are ever changing, each year there is something different, but we can always count on two things to remain: the Christmas story being read, and the story staying constant. It is such a reminder of how the Lord is the same as He was thousands of years ago when He came down to this Earth so sacrificially as He is today.
As each year passes by, I gain more understanding of and value for Jesus’ birth. It began just as a story and over the years and it has formulated into an actual story of an actual couple that was chosen to bring the Savior into this world. The reality of this is breathtaking, and leaves me on my knees in awe. Though it was an honor to Mary for her to bear Jesus in her womb, it didn’t begin so flawlessly.
With age and experience they say that you become a more knowledgeable person, and I believe that is what is happening here. I have always imagined Mary as being “non-human,” someone who was perfect and didn’t struggle at all. I mean… she was chosen to bring Jesus into the world; you’d think that would be a requirement. However, as I grow and mature and struggles become ever more present I find myself relating to Mary more and more. I imagine myself young, in love and approaching marriage. I think of how joyful this experience will one day be. It is a time that all young girls look forward to growing up. That is how Mary was; she was young, and about to get married. However, the process came with an interruption. Though it wasn’t just an easy-fixer and keep-on-moving kind of ordeal. This interruption was the news that she would bear a Son, and not only that, but He was the Savior of the world.
Can you imagine how scared she must have been? Can you imagine telling your fiancé that an angel came down and told you that you were going to have a baby, but still try to insure him you remained a virgin?
When Joseph heard the news of Mary he made plans to put her away. He did not want the public to know of his fiancé. He was a good man and he didn’t want this to become what he was known for. The heartache Mary must’ve endured during his misunderstanding is unimaginable. And for Joseph, the thought that his soon-to-be wife had cheated on him and was pregnant with someone else's child. However, as always, God came to the rescue and appeared to Joseph in a dream informing him that the news was, indeed, true and he accepted Mary to be his wife.
This story is not only the beginning of the most important story of all time, but it is a powerful story of redemption that is slowly becoming more and more relatable. With life we are brought obstacles, but through those obstacles we experience growth and endurance. Like Mary and Joseph and their engagement, we often go through seasons of pure joy and excitement. We rejoice in the opportunities and futuristic plans, but we get interrupted. We get interrupted and we seem to watch every piece of joy we once experienced send individual cracks through our hearts. We lose a piece of ourselves over what seems to be losing our joy- but God. But God comes in and reminds us that He is the leader in this; that He knows what’s best. He brings calm to the storm, and ultimately that brokenness turns into something beautiful, not only for you to see but for the world around to see you. He may turn off the light for a moment, but He never fails to light a candle in the mean-time. He loves you and wants you to experience joy, but He wants that joy to found in Him. The things of this world are “but a vapor,” our possessions should be those that can be stored in Heaven.
As Christmas approaches us, my prayer is that more people would understand the true meaning of Christmas, as cliché as it may sound. I pray it would be less about waking up Christmas morning and running to the living room to see what “Santa” left, and it would be more about honoring our Father for coming into this world and dying for our sins so that we may live forever with Him in Heaven. I want us to look at Mary and Joseph and honor the sacrifices they made for their marriage. And I hope that you can rejoice in knowing that like the Lord redeemed Mary, He can redeem you too. What a joyful Christmas it would be if we each considering it for what it was worth, and celebrated in the appropriate manner.
