Christmas Eve

For my family, today is Christmas Eve. Since we are traveling tomorrow, we will open gifts early tomorrow morning before heading out. Therefore, today is, for me at least, the llloooooooonnnggest day of the year. Seriously, it goes on forever. I can't wait until bedtime because, in this sense, I'm just as excited as a kid. I'm the mom that wakes her kids up at 5:00 on Christmas morning while every other parent is telling their kids to go back to sleep because it's too early. We are that family. Tonight, I will prep breakfast, clean the kitchen and living room to perfection, organize the gifts to hand them out speedily, set up the go-pro to video our excitement, and last but not least, lay out my husband's Bible to read the Scripture of Luke 2 over breakfast. For me, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

For many, Christmas Eve is stressful, awkward, sad, lonely, and long for other reasons. For many, it's just another work day, and for others, it's the day they're reminded yet again, that there's an empty chair at the table this year.

Christmas was, no doubt, all of the above for Mary and Joseph. The night their first child was born was exciting, awkward, lonely, uncertain, and long. People they didn't know crowded in to see their child, and they had to be at least a little curious about why (and how) these people came. Only to be told a little later that King Herod was after the baby's life. Mary had just given birth when she had to run to protect His life. This wasn't what she had in mind when she said, "May it be to me as you have said," to the angel. Several years later, the Magi of all people came bringing strange gifts, and Mary had to wonder. In fact, the Scripture even says several times, "But Mary treasured all these things in her heart."

I'm a little like Mary. At least, I imagine her reaction through the lens of what I know I would think/do. Outwardly, I would roll with the punches, but inside, I would ponder. Hmmm... I would "discuss" the obstacles with Joseph, and I would eventually ask God to help me deal. But most of all, I would prepare. I would plan. I would make all the preparations we would need for the next day, and I would sleep confidently, knowing that things would be much less chaotic in the morning.

But life with Jesus often doesn't work that way. We want smooth sailing, no bad surprises, no obstacles, and no stormy weather. God never promised Mary that being a mother to Jesus would be easy, but He did tell her, "You have found favor with God." Wow, she found favor with God! And she lived the life of a truly favored woman.

I don't consider myself more than an ordinary woman, raising ordinary children, and being an ordinary life. But for some reason, I feel favored. I am blessed beyond what anyone could measure, and I live life walking in fellowship with that baby boy born that Christmas night. I have obstacles, stormy weather, and hiccups happen along the way, and no amount of planning can account for those things. But I can choose to life a life, knowing I am favored, and I can say, like Mary, whatever plan you have for me, I will live it and glorify you in the process.