Mary Did You Know?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Before I get ready to head to my Grandparents house for some great family time and amazing food, I wanted to leave a blog for you guys!


I have some time and I really wanted to post something about Mary.  I watched the Nativity Story for the first time a few nights ago and absolutely loved it.  I learned so many new things about Christ's birth that I didn't know before and it just gave me a whole new respect for Mary.  She was just a young girl, probably in her teenage years.  After being forced to marry someone she didn't love, an angel came to her and told her she was going to have a baby.  At first, of course, she questioned it and asked how it was possible. The angel assured her that it was from the power of God.  Mary listened to the angel and believed it with her whole heart.  She didn't question it anymore, she didn't get upset or angry with God.  That's the first amazing part.


Then, when Mary tells her family, they won't believe her.  Her cousin Elizabeth, who also is having a baby, does believe her and helps her a lot. But her own family, her own parents do not believe her.  She has the chance of getting stoned, and she has to worry about her now husband, Joseph and what he will think.   I just can't imagine how she must have felt knowing that God gave her this child, but nobody would believe her.  She really put all of her trust into Him.


Then, God took care of everything else. He spoke to Joseph, and Joseph listened. Now, he and Mary were in this together and Joseph protected her from getting stoned.  Later on, they traveled to Bethlehem together were they had their baby, and named him Jesus.  


The whole story is just incredible. The way that God took care of all the problems so Mary wouldn't get stoned, the way that God spoke to Joseph and he believed Mary.  All of these things were just amazing.  It was also interesting that everyone in the town was looking for the 'Savior' who was going to overthrow the King. And they were searching everyone and just basically going crazy for this Messiah that was going to come.  But nobody expected it to be a baby in a girl's stomach.  


My favorite part of this whole movie, that I found the most incredible was Mary.  She remained so strong and willing throughout the whole story. First, she had to get married, then she found out she was going to have a child, then her parents didn't believe her. Finally, she traveled many, many days to a small town to have the Son of God.  Mary didn't give up. She didn't complain, or whine. And she didn't say, "Why me?" I think a lot of us today would have been angry with God.  Or worse, we wouldn't have believed Him.  I think a lot of us would have just blown it off.  But Mary didn't do that. She was so persistent with God's will and it just amazed me.  Her strength and courage was incredible.


It makes me think of two of my favorite Christmas songs, 'Mary Did You Know' and 'Breath Of Heaven.'  With 'Breath of Heaven' the lyrics are just so powerful.  


"I have traveled many moonless nights,
cold and weary with a babe inside. 
And I wonder what I've done.
Holy Father,  you have come
and chosen me now to carry your son."

It's so powerful to me, because we can't even begin to imagine what Mary was going through at that time. What she was thinking about as she traveled all those days.  We can't imagine what she was thinking after the Angel told her the news.  And then the chorus of the song shows us where all that strength came from...

"Breath of Heaven. Hold me together.
Be forever near me.  Breath of Heaven. 
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness,
pour over me your holiness, for you are Holy."

I just pray so often that I have the strength and willing heart that Mary did during this time.  And I love this song, because it shows that she had all that strength and persistence though the power of God.  This was God's plan and God's son and He took care of everything.  Mary and Joseph didn't have to worry about what was to come next because God was taking care of it. He was lightening their darkness and holding them together at this time. 

The other song, 'Mary Did You Know' is another one of my all time favorites.

"Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy would walk where angels trod?
When you've kissed your little baby, then you've kissed the face of God."

And this is just one part of the song.  Through all this that Mary was going through, she didn't know that her little baby was going to save the world. She didn't know that that baby was going to do all these great things.  Who knows how different the story would have been if she knew?  I just love how the song gives all of these great things that Jesus did. But at this time, Mary didn't know any of it.  All she knew was that God had chosen her to carry His child and she took care of it with all that she had.

That's the kind of strength that I want to have.  Mary's willing heart just amazes me and makes me want to strive to be better every day.  To face every obstacle in life with full determination and willingness.  Mary's story shows that with the power of God, anything is possible. Annnd... that's CHRISTMAS.

The story of a virgin mother that traveled for days, through many hardships, clueless, that gave birth to Jesus Christ, the son of God.  And the Holy Father who helped her the whole way through.

I think that's reason enough to celebrate :)
So, I hope you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! Eat food, enjoy family, and celebrate.

Love to everyone!
Amy :)