Each year as I think of the story of the first Christmas, I am retouched by its magic. This year, my mind filled with questions that I would have loved to ask Mary if I had the chance to visit with her.
When I think of Mary I wonder:
What thoughts went through your mind as a young teenager after the angel appeared to you and informed you of the events which would soon transpire? Were you frightened and perhaps overwhelmed to learn that you were chosen to be the mother of the son of God?
Were you afraid to tell Joseph, your betrothed, that you were pregnant despite the fact that you had never “been together “in the biblical sense? How did he initially take the news? How did the two of you deal with this delicate situation?
Were you sick during the first months of your pregnancy? I would have welcomed death during my months of “morning sickness.” Perhaps it was easier for you since you were carrying such a divine child. Did your friends and family understand the significance of the position in which you found yourself? Where did you turn for support?
Did you cry with exhaustion after traveling so many miles by donkey only to find that there was nowhere for you to rest? My body cries for rest after several hours in the car. I can only imagine how tired you were being so far along in a pregnancy and traveling by such difficult means.
Did you wish that someone more experienced had been there to talk to you and assist you through your first experience with childbirth? Most women I know find childbirth challenging even after a short drive to the hospital and having a complete medical team prepared to assist them.
Did you hear the angels that sang for the shepherds or see the star that guided the wise men to find you? Or was this pivotal event in history shared by anyone other than you and Joseph and a few animals that had no idea about the magnitude of the event taking place before them?
Did you and Joseph have any idea that we would still be celebrating this holy birth over 2000 years later, and that every December the world would be transformed in to a more kind, gentle and loving place to honor the three of you?
How I wish I could talk to you about the strength of character and the integrity it must have taken for you and Joseph to press forward despite the insecurities and lack of experience you faced. You were practically children yourselves. I remember reading somewhere that our integrity sings to us from deep inside our souls and that it is a note only we can hear. Eventually, when life makes us ready to listen, it will help us find our way home. Our challenges now are much different than those that you and Joseph faced back then, but the principle of integrity is still the same. Heaven help us all to demonstrate the same level of integrity and strength of character that you and Joseph displayed so many years ago, as we continue on our individual journeys through life.
Kathy Christensen
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