by Sharon O | Dec 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
As I continue to think of Mary and Joseph and the journey they were on.
The urgent need to get settled laid heavy on their hearts and minds.
The journey to Bethlehem was not easy.
Remember it was days and it was nights.
Night time brought out night predators and even cooler temperatures.
Were they able to lay down and rest a little bit?
Were they able to feel safe?
I wonder in the dark of the night if they shared with each other
what the next few weeks would mean for them.
So much had changed.
The plans they had made for each other were now different.
As they tried to rest for a while.
What did they think about and experience.
There were no soft pillows or beds for them.
Perhaps Mary rested on the horses blankets.
With all the sweat and smells from the animals journey.
I wonder if she was able to rest.
Not too different than any other expectant mom.
Soon she would deliver a tiny baby.
With no midwife or doctor to help her.
Was Joseph prepared and did he even know what to do in this kind of situation.
Did she whisper to him her worries or did she keep them close to her heart.
So much had changed for them.
In the days ahead so much more will be different and new.
I continue to think of the journey they were on.
by Sharon O | Dec 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
There are so many parts of the story of Jesus and his beginning moments on earth.
God orchestrated so many key characters to be a part of this miraculous birth.
We have Mary, and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zechariah and John.
At least two angels perhaps a few more.
As they play their ‘roles’ in the story.
God orchestrated other players we see enter later in the next scene of the story.
There are the shepherds out in the field and the wisemen.
Then there is the innkeeper and others who might have been nearby to notice.
There was Caesar Augustus who issued the decree for the census.
Then we have later on Simeon and Anna.
Everyone of these players were needed and a vital part of the story of Jesus.
It was all orchestrated by God.
Written and prophesied long before Jesus was even ‘here’.
It is amazing to me that it was not just a ‘thought’ of God.
It was a plan.
The plan that would save the world.
The chance for many to see and believe.
I can’t even imagine what Mary felt like knowing that her baby
HER BABY
Was the chosen one.
Forever in time the one that would save so many including her.
So many details God did not forget.
Just as He does not forget details of our lives.
Doesn’t it make you feel good to know that God loves you so much
to send His son…
HIS SON
so you and so I can have hope and life and eternal safety.
So many details… to continue the story.
by Sharon O | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
I can’t begin to imagine the journey for Mary and Joseph.
They are in a new relationship which is both challenging and full of many changes and responsibilities.
They are journeying towards a town of great activity and many things had to take place.
A census was very important and Joseph knew he had to get there.
In order for the official count to be made known all citizens had to register themselves and their property for proper taxation.
It might not have been what they wanted to do but Joseph knew there was no choice.
They rode or walked as the days moved into nights.
I think of Mary round with child and her exhaustion not being able to fully rest.
Where would they lay down for comfort?
Were they even safe to stop and sit for awhile?
There is so much I wonder about in this Christmas story.
I wonder if they were able to stay strong and full of hope.
I wonder did God provide some sort of heavenly food
like he did so many years before.
I wonder if they found fresh water and did God provide that along the way too?
I also wondered what they thought about as they walked in the quiet.
Was there a silence between them that was deep and heavy
or did they talk and share about this experience with each other.
There is so much about this journey we don’t know about.
What we do know is a very special baby was coming and God was preparing the way.
by Sharon O | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
We are not really told when Mary and Joseph actually got married.
We do know that after Mary heard from the angel she went immediately to see Elizabeth and then stay with her for three months.
Perhaps that is when Joseph had his struggle and his ‘conflicting’ thoughts about the news he had heard.
And maybe that is when the angel appeared to him in a dream and told him to marry her.
Three months is a long time and when someone is dealing with something very major it is helpful to have that much time to think.
We can guess that when she returned they married and became a ‘family’.
There was a census in Bethlehem and Joseph had to make the distance to go so he could be counted.
The journey was long and very challenging.
They didn’t have any easy transportation in those days.
The choices were few, one could ride a camel, a donkey or walk.
I would imagine it took them a few months as Mary had to transition from an early pregnancy stage to a point of delivery.
The journey for them had to have been horrible walking among rough terrain and rocky hills.
It might have been hot and humid.
Even though they knew each other the walking and the riding
could have been exhausting to a relationship.
We are not told how long it took them to get there.
But we do know she was expecting and soon to deliver a very special baby.
There are many things we don’t know about the story.
What we do know is this: A baby was to be born and his parents were chosen to be a part of this very special story.
