But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:30-33 NIV)
I love kids though Steve and I have none of our own. Kids (for the most part) love me. JoJo thinks I pretty much walk on water and that is fine with me! I don’t have the personal experience of having life growing within me. Even if I did, I doubt I could come close to the emotion that young Mary must have felt when that angel showed up with this incredible message: You are going to have a Son; his name is Jesus; He is God’s Son; He will reign forever as His kingdom will never end! (paraphrase mine). Wow.
Her emotions had to be all over the place. Here she is a virgin, engaged, living in a culture that had no tolerance for pregnancy outside of marriage and God’s representative pays her a visit and tells her this!
The words to this song are haunting and yet they somehow mirror Mary’s thoughts as she prayed through this (Luke 1: 46-56). In verses 46-49: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. Mary likely was frightened beyond imagination yet she had the presence of mind to pray, to seek God’s peace, to recognize the enormity of the responsibility placed on her young life and apparently to appreciate the risks that went with the responsibility. I am willing. I am yours.
Mary seemed to understand this was much more than about physical birth. Yes – she was chosen for that – something no one else will experience in the same way she did. She realized that this son Jesus, was her Savior, too. She had waited for the promise.
Has Jesus been born you? Do you know Him? Open your heart to Him today to be born in you.
Still Choosing Joy
Cille
Everything inside me cries for order
Everything inside me wants to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me see with Heaven’s eyes
And before my head agrees, my heart is on its knees
Holy is He. Blessed am I.
All this time we’ve waited for the promise
All this time You’ve waited for my arms
Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
So we might know that Love would go that far?
I am not brave
I’ll never be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I’m just a girl
Nothing more
But I am willing, I am Yours
Be born in me, be born in me
I’ll hold You in the beginning, You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart Your Bethlehem
Be born in me
Cille Litchfield 