"Go ahead; pour your heart out..."
That's what Rory (my hub) said after setting up this blog outlet for me. I've always wanted to write since childhood. Maybe it was the encouragement of my closest aunt, Lola, who doubled as my kindergarten teacher. She has been an amazing school teacher for more than 30 years, and has begun a book of funny things the kid shave said through the years. One of my fondest memories of Aunt Lola was driving on a long trip in the car, and she would start the story game. You know the one, the first person starts a fictional story, and the second person adds, while the third person brings it to a conclusion. There's no telling what all my young mind concocted back then, but the part I remember most is after my extensive narration,Aunt Lola would exclaim, "You should be a writer!" Now you see why I loved her so. Children are always drawn to fun, laughter, and encouragement.
The second thing that intrigues me is books. Reading a good book is like warm honey on a piece of freshly baked bread. It enlightens the mind, refreshes the soul, and broadens our horizon. I have been challenged, angered, and overjoyed by reading books over the years. I hope that one day I will be expert enough in an important subject to inspire the world with a well written piece of literature.
Beyond the elaborate dreams noted above, I thought I'd share something specific with you today from the heart on this little blog. With the Christmas season in full swing, I found myself pondering the story that inspired it all: Mary & Joseph. In case you're not familiar,Mary was a young virgin, speculated to be in her teens, when an angel appeared to her with an unimaginable proposal that would never be matched a second time. Lest you pass this off as commonplace, keep in mind that no one had sighted an angel for 500 years. They had just come out of the driest spiritual season on record, the "years of silence," between the conclusion of Malachi in the Old Testament and the beginning of Matthew in the New Testament. You think that gave reason for Mary to question the reality of Jehovah God and give up on faithfulness? Just a thought.
Anyway, God as flesh was to be conceived in her womb, and He would save His people from their sin. Astounded, she questioned how this could happen since she had remained pure and had not been with a man. He gave explanation that elucidated her extreme virtue and excellence of character. She was specifically chosen for a purpose unparalleled by any mother in history.
Upon acceptance of his statements, she is forever marked and honored as the mother of God. Religions revere her, women of all ages adore her, and she has been depicted with halo and granted utmost prominence in this classic memoir. I am in awe of her integrity that caused her to be specifically selected out of all the women in the entire world anytime, any place, by God Himself. That's what you might call a sign. She received the highest honor possible because of her faith and loyalty. (We only
think no one knows what we do behind closed doors.)
Then she carried out His will in spite of extenuating circumstances and high disapproval ratings. Technically, Gallup wasn't around yet in those days, but I'm sure her ratings would have dropped several points at the news of pregnancy while still in her year of purity during espousal to Joseph. In the era of Mosaic Law, this type of behavior was more than "scandalous." It was punishable by death.
Enter Joseph. He's my new hero in the story. As of this year, my eyes were opened to how crucial his role truly was. He was"chosen" as much as Mary. After all, "the house and lineage of David" (Lk 2:4) came through the man, and was very specific to Messianic prophecy. Though a resident of Nazareth, he was from a small city called Bethlehem, which was also fulfillment of specific predictions. It couldn't be just any man - it had to be Joseph.
Side note: Since the Jewish genealogical records were destroyed in 70A.D., along with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple; it would not be possible for a Messiah impostor who was born later to prove his lineage back to David and thus fulfill this prophecy. -- Taken from http://www.christiananswers.net/
We now return to our feature presentation...
Respected in his community, he had intent to put Mary away and attempt to quietly move on with life. But an angel spoke to him in a dream. After shaking off the possibility of too much pizza,Joseph took the dream as God's spoken word, and selflessly restored ownership for his fiancée and unborn child,despite the opinions and speculations of others. The child within her carried more purpose than the opposition they would face.
Joseph and Mary did not choose Bethlehem as the desired birthplace for the little One. It was forced upon them by Caesar Augustus' tax decree, which required Joseph to return to his place of origin. We only thought it was inconvenient to find time to go shopping during the busiest month of the year! To make matters worse (and how much worse can it be than traveling by donkey/foot while 9 months pregnant? Dr. Scholl’s foot gels had not yet been invented), they could not find one single room in which to lie down and get some rest. Frantic,Joseph must have knocked on every door in the city, while Mary announced that contractions had started and they were less than 10 minutes apart. Where's a midwife when you need one?
After what must have seemed like an eternity, an inn keeper offered his best accommodations: a livery stable. I picture him to be nonchalant, though we have no proof of such an allegation. With heightened sense of smell, Mary had the displeasure of taking in all the aromas that are common to farm animals throughout her labor and delivery. Forget the epidural- she had "mooing" to drown out screams of agony.
But the King of Glory was born nonetheless, in the most undesirable of circumstances. We think it was beautiful because we have manager scenes that look really nice, but I'd wager that Mary and Joseph were feeling anything but chipper after that run of events. Before they had a chance to think about posting a no visitors sign on the door, they were greeted by members of the lowest paid profession of their day. Shepherds. They had no special skill and no special trade. Because the sheep had to be tended seven days a week, many of them lived in violation of Mosaic Law, and could not properly recognize the Sabbath. They were despised by the religious and political leaders alike. They were not even allowed to testify in court as the belief was that they were not smart enough to make logical conclusions. Were I the PR marketing rep for Israel, I would not likely choose a group with such lack of influence to announce my new plan for saving the world. I would choose the movers and shakers of high end society. I would choose those with connections. But that's why I'm not God.
'Tis true - God hand selected them, just as He hand selected Joseph. He loves to contrast His radiant glory against a crude background. A specific message was delivered: the child will bring great joy to all people, even those of no status or rank. That's the best news they had received all night. In fact, that's the best news they had received in their entire lifetime. The Apostle Paul reached the same conclusion in I Tim 1:15: "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief."
The Savior of the world was born in obscurity that night, unknown to anyone residing in the nicer hotel rooms. His cry probably sounded exactly like any other birth. Those neighboring may have even gripped a pillow around their ears to drown out the noise. Yet his voice would shake the nations for all time. Millenniums later, we celebrate with"O Holy Night" and "Silent Night," but when it actually happened, everyone was going about business as usual. The greatest miracle took place in the most unlikely of circumstances. I wonder if God planned this very purposefully and very strategically so that we would realize "not many wise...not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (I Cor1:26)
So what about you? Do you carry a purpose within you that is greater than the opposition you face? For those that may have not yet discovered the X on the treasure map, the answer is yes.
In pondering the Christmas story, I am reminded that circumstances are often so much less than ideal in life. We don't receive the kind of accommodations we are hoping for, and lack the desired approval from friends and relatives when we explain the call that we carry. We have jobs and responsibilities for which we never planned. We have frustrations that ail us along the way, just like Mary and Joseph. On top of that, there are many pain points along the way, and sometimes we just want to give up the fight. Yet, through the trials comes the glory. Similar to the star that shone brightly upon the location of Jesus, as we submit to His plan, we begin to see light shining bright on our lives. It's the glory of God.
The next time you're tempted to feel your purpose and life is meaningless, remember the humble beginning of Joseph and Mary. You are just the kind of candidate God will choose to change the world and share the message that began on that night so long ago.
Merry Christmas!
Rachel Gallagher