Christmas...A Birth Story

If you read a lot of "mommy blogs" then you know that there is a lot of emphasis these days to document your child's birth story. Birth stories are just like they sound--the story of your child's birth...or the experience(s), feelings, decisions, and actions that occur during the process of your child being birthed. I have never actually taken the time to write out my boys' birth stories nor did I think it was necessary to write out birth plans for them, though I know a lot of people who would say writing each of those things would be a very good idea.
The children's worship at our church is taught through a process of allowing the children to lead the worship through their wonderings about the Biblical stories...the adults are simply there to help guide and direct these wonderings but the kids are encouraged to ask many questions as they wonder and explore the answers through play and conversing together.
Throughout this advent season I have been thinking a lot about Mary and have wondered if she had thought about a birth plan. I'm sure, like most women, Mary had day-dreamed about having children since she was a little girl. What had she envisioned when when she would think of that momentous occasion happening in her life?

Here are some of my recent wonderings:

I wonder how Mary felt when she learned she was with child? She was young, unmarried, and uncertain of the support she would have from others. More importantly, she was a VIRGIN! Did she question her sanity? Did she go through a phase of denial? Was she completely overwhelmed? Surely, this was not anything like the "plan" she had imagined for her life never mind her first pregnancy!

I wonder how much pressure it must have been to know the important role she played in the redemption of the whole world and how humbling and frightening that must have been for any woman to bear. Especially a woman who is aware of her sinfulness and frailty....a holy woman such as Mary.

I wonder how she felt when Joseph first doubted her and when others judged her and ridiculed Joseph. Would Joseph still love her? Would this bad reputation ruin her? This was certainly not the warmth and celebration one wishes for when announcing their new pregnancy.

I wonder how she felt when she learned she had to travel by donkey, late in her pregnancy, to return to Joseph's home for the census...a foreign land to her. These days it is not advised to travel long lengths of time during the last stages of pregnancy due to risks/complications arising as well as the possibility that labor may occur at a very inconvenient time and location. Did Mary worry about such things? How did she manage to sit upon a donkey while nine months pregnant? Did she bicker with Joseph? Did she have to pee every half hour? Was she sleep deprived? Oh, how uncomfortable, miserable, and utterly terrified she must have been?!? Oh Mary...how did you ever do it?

I wonder if she began to doubt God's provision when they were turned away at the inn. Did she think to herself that the inn keeper surely must be joking? Did she cry out to God to provide or was she in so much pain from the contractions that she did not even care at that point?

When she settled in the barn to have her child did it occur to her that she was lying amongst animals and how unsanitary it must be? Did it smell horrible? Was it cold? Hot? Did she have privacy? Did Joseph even know how to deliver a child or were there others (maybe women) there helping? Was the pain frightening for such a young woman who had not experienced child birth before and didn't know what to expect? Did she wish her mother was there for support like most women do?

After the birth how did she feel? Exhausted? Elated? Confused? Was she hungry...thirsty? There were no pain meds...no nurses...no lactation consultant..no baby books telling you how to do things. And then strange visitors from afar to entertain...in a manger...with animals. As an introvert who likes her privacy I cannot even imagine having strangers arrive during one of the most personal and intimate experiences in my life. Sigh. Surely this was not what she had envisioned as a little girl.

These are the things I wonder. There are many more things I could wonder as I reflect upon Mary's experience as it is so hard to imagine being in her shoes. Mary was human just like you and me. I'm sure she was hormonal, scared, fatigued, and in physical pain and yet she was faithful.

We want to have control when it comes to special occasions and experiences in our lives. We think of these things and plan and plot and arrange to have everything go the way we want them to. At least we try to have control. But Mary put all those plans aside to obey her God and to carry out the most important task she would ever do. She relinquished all control and trusted God to fulfill His promise. I'm sure she asked herself: "Why...why me, God?" I'm sure she was uncomfortable, frightened, and in shock of how things were playing out on the night her son, the Savior, was born. Think about it. Mary was "Some Woman." And Jesus was born on "Some Night." And that certainly was "Some Birth Story." The ultimate indeed.

Today I am rejoicing that Mary was obedient and that our King was born all according to plan!

Oh, and by the way, this is one of the reasons why I always say that birth plans are overrated!

Blessing to you this Christmas! Here is an account of Jesus' birth story...my kids love this!