During the busyness of the Christmas season, I am trying harder than ever to focus on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Contemplating the story this morning I have heard so many times before, brought new life and a new perspective.
As new expectant parents, Mary and Joseph had begun to make many preparations in their home for the arrival of their little one. I think of all the things I do to prepare when a new baby is coming. It is an exciting time! Joseph, a carpenter, had no doubt built a new cradle for his infant son. Mary, a first time mommy, may have cleaned their home in anticipation of his arrival, even rearranging the furniture to find just the perfect spot to place the new cradle.
Instead of welcoming their precious infant into their prepared, secure and familiar home, they were forced to travel. I don’t like to take long car rides when I am nine months pregnant. I cannot even begin to fathom being on the back of a smelly, uncomfortable donkey, up winding roads, struggling to keep my balance. I wonder if Mary comforted herself with thoughts of what was ahead. “Let’s just get to Bethlehem, and then I can get off this donkey, get a proper room and put my feet up.” How disheartening it must have been to arrive only to find not a single room available.
Knowing that the time was fast approaching for her baby to be born, we see Mary and Joseph take refuge in a manger. All the pictures I have seen depict such a serene scene. Warm, clean straw, soft lighting and the animals looking on contentedly. It could have been that way, but more than likely it was not. This was a barn; a barn filled with bawling, smelly animals who were probably none too happy at having their space invaded.
Then to think that Mary faced the birth of her first child with only her husband by her side. She may have wanted her mother or someone else who had been through childbirth before to help her through. Maybe the Lord sent an angel midwife to help her! We don’t know, because the Bible doesn’t record any of that. I just have to wonder what she was feeling.
What struck me about all of this is that never once in all of the accounts recorded do we hear Mary complain. I tried to imagine myself in her situation. I know I would not have had such a gentle and quiet spirit. I could hear myself saying:
“But Joseph, do we HAVE to go to Bethlehem? I can’t ride a donkey that far, you know that! I’ve worked so hard to get things ready, I can’t leave now! Why don’t you just go without me and explain the situation to the census takers.”
"WHAT? No room? You’ve got to be kidding me?! Can’t you see I’m great with child?!”
“Joseph, I can’t give birth here! It stinks! There’s no one to help me. I want my mother! Can you please make those animals be QUIET! They’re driving me crazy! I want to go HOME!”
Not once in the Gospels do we here a single word of complaint from Mary. Instead, the Bible records this precious verse, “but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.” (Luke 2:19)
Wow! Is there any wonder why the Lord chose Mary to carry his most precious gift? Despite everything going differently than Mary may have planned, she chose to quietly trust. If the God of the Universe was asking this of her, then surely He must know what He was doing. She understood what I so often do not and she trusted.
Lord, help me to learn that “quiet trust”. Help me to do as Mary did - to treasure the things around me and to ponder them in my heart. Show me how they fit into Your perfect plan. Help me Lord to complain less and to trust more.
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