Sweet Mary must have been so weary. She could not get comfortable as the child inside was about to make His long awaited entrance. It had been nine months for her and dear Joseph, but the people of earth had been waiting for this child for many generations. That fact, also, meant the world was no longer on high alert. They were certainly not expecting him to arrive in Bethlehem that night.
Joseph and Mary had endured the looks, the gossip, and the whispers behind their backs. The journey to Bethlehem meant time away from staring eyes, but the baby was coming soon. She would have no mother or sister to coach her. She was on her own with a man she was still learning about. What a crazy time it had been for both of them.
Perhaps the quiet clip-clop of the donkey has a rhythm that would nearly put her to sleep until the baby would become discontent and kick. She would walk a bit... and then ride... and then, something changed. On the outskirts of Bethlehem, Joseph knew he had to find something soon.
Knocking on doors proved fruitless. With the census order bringing many visitors to town, the inns were full. We do not know how many times he tried, but we can feel his desperation when he jumps on the opportunity to spend the night in a stable. Would Mary deliver there? What did he know about delivering babies? He was a carpenter and not a shepherd.
It was time. Joseph did all he could to help Mary settle into a comfortable spot as the labor pains grew closer and more intense. She must have felt like she was in over her head with everything out of her control. Babies have a way of doing that. They come when they come. After they arrive, we answer their needs.
Mary must have been excited, nervous, and overwhelmed. I imagine Joseph would sit wherever she asked. Did he rub her back? Did he sit behind her on the ground so she could lean against him and into his steady strength? We know he did what he could do to prepare the space for the newborn King. How would he remember it as the years passed? What stood out? What was etched deep in his memory of that night?
The wonder of the birth... and then the surprise arrival of a band of shepherds who were sent by an angel choir. Oh, what a night!
"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." -Luke 2:19
Oh, what a night! So much can change in a few hours. A baby changes everything. Her baby would change the world.
The book "Heaven Is For Real" included Colton Burpo sharing his experience when he died on the surgical table. Someone asked him if Mary was there. Of course, she was. When asked about the relationship, Colton described a mother and son relationship, but she knelt before his throne, too.
"Mary Did You Know?" is one of my favorite Christmas songs. She put her trust in the Almighty God of the universe and gave birth to His child... the long awaited Messiah.
Today, I am grateful for Christmas Eve.
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