Pure JOY

Last Sunday, December 11, our worship pastor, Drew, preached on the topic of JOY.  Specifically he related it to how JOY from giving birth overshadows the pain women bear during childbirth.

It really got me thinking about Mary - what she thought, what she saw, heard and how she felt.

I had the privilege of giving birth to all four of my boys in a state of the art hospital with licensed obstetricians, nurses, and anesthesiologists.  The delivery room was sterile (I had a c-section) and cold.  The lights were bright.  They put warm blankets on me to keep me warm.  I was numb to the pain (until the medicine wore off!) and they monitored everything about me.  Once the baby was born, he was cleaned off, weighed, wrapped in blankets and put on my chest for me to see.

So basically almost everything about my experience is different from Mary's.

She was in a stable, surrounded by hay, big animals (and probably some small ones), bugs, and it probably didn't smell too grand!  There were no pain medicines.  There were no doctors and nurses.  It was probably a really horrific experience from a standpoint of pain.  Yet, the moment Jesus arrived, I know she was overjoyed.  He was finally here!  She could now gaze at the face of the little one that had kicked and moved inside of her all those long months.  She could touch his face, kiss his cheek, and count the fingers and toes.

Not only had she had a child, she had just birthed God's child - the Savior of the world - the MESSIAH she had heard of and known would come her entire life. 

Shepherds came from a field probably talking all sorts of gibberish because they had seen ANGELS.  Obviously that was not an everyday event.  The angels were proclaiming that a king had been born and they were to go and see him!  When they showed up, was that one more confirmation for Mary that this REALLY was Jesus?  I am not saying she was doubting God or the angel's message to her, but looking at Jesus, I am sure he looked like every other baby she'd ever seen.  Did Satan try to confuse her and say to her that this couldn't be the Messiah?  Why would God put himself in human form and use her - a young girl - to bring him into the world?

I know if God had chosen me, I would have had some serious questions!  I would have felt extremely unworthy.  I would have probably questioned the angel (A good reason he didn't wait for me to be the mother of Jesus!!)

Amazing - Awe - Beautiful - Miracle - Precious - Emmanuel - Brilliant - Unfathomable - Prophecy

All words that come to my mind when considering the miracle of that moment.

Consider Mary today.  I am asking God to show me how I can be more like that - simply willing to do whatever he asks in spite of the cost.  Having no regard for my reputation, what people think of me or how it will impact my future -I want to follow where he leads.  It sounds so simple to put into practice, yet I know it is not.

I pray you will find pure JOY in the remainder of this Christmas season.